Against The Odds
by JessAndFriend
Summary: Then she realises that she may have fallen in love with her favourite teacher. Tonks is a Seventh year, studying to become an Auror. Lupin is just her kindly teacher. Soon their friendship becomes much, much more than that.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Every Harry Potter related topic/word in this whole entire story is from the wondrously amazing mind of J.K. Rowling. The plot line is mine, though.

All the students have arrived here safely. All the first years have been sorted. Soon afterwards, he will be introduced.

'Let me introduce to you our new professors. Professor Lupin, who will be taking Defence against the Dark Arts.'

Only the teachers, and a whole of one student, clapped. He doesn't blame the others. He probably does look very poor, compared to the other teachers. He wouldn't clap for a werewolf either.

'Also another new, or should I say old professor, that is taking up his old role of Potions master while Professor Snape is away, is Professor Slughorn.'

Slughorn gets a bigger applaud than he did. Shame, but he can't go feeling jealous. Especially not of his old teacher.

'Welcome, professors! You will get to know them more later, I expect, so let us now be amazed by our stupendous feast.'

The food appears on the serving platters, and quickly disappears into the awaiting stomachs. Professor Dumbledore stood up again.

'Before I let you tired pupils off to your dormitories, we will sing the school song. Pick your favourite tune, and off we go!' Hundreds upon hundreds of voices started bellowing the song. Finally there were two students left, singing to a funeral march. They were twins, with shockingly red hair, looking to be about second years. Not as shocking as a girl, at the Hufflepuff table, with bright pink hair, laughing at them. The one that clapped for him. Maybe she knows them. He wondered if he got to teach her.

'Well, there's nothing to soothe a tired mind like music! Off to bed now. Prefects, please lead your first years to their dormitories.'

Finally, bed. He is feeling very tired. Before he leaves, he steals a glance up at the girl. She is looking back at him. When she sees him looking at her, she smiles up at him. He gets up and turns around, so that she cannot see him blush.

'Are you OK Remus? You look a little warm.' Pomona Sprout's face appears in front of him, looking concerned.

'Fine, fine. Must just be the hot air.' He turns and pretty much sprints to his private quarters, nearly going through a few ghosts, trying to avoid any more questions.

_**Author's Note:**_

_**This is my first fanfic ever. Please keep that in mind if you choose to review. I am looking forward to reading it if you do. I know that it is very short, but I'll do my best to lengthen following chapters.**_


	2. Chapter 2

*Remus' pov*

'Hello class. I am Professor Lupin. Welcome to Defence against the Dark Arts. I know that this is your last year, and that most of you will be grateful for that. But honestly, I don't care about your results; I just want you to be able to defend yourself against what's out there.'

He can tell that he has everyone interested. One girl in particular stands out to him. The one from the feast last night. Maybe it's the fact that she has bright pink hair, almost like bubblegum. Maybe it's the fact that she is looking right at his eyes, almost looking through him. Or maybe it's the fact that she is smiling at him, as if he is making her happy. He turns back to the whole class.

'As it's your our first lesson together, I need to know your abilities in defence magic. Therefore, we will be duelling for most of the lesson. Everyone into pairs, make sure you have plenty of room, and wait for me to say start. Oh, and nothing that will harm your opponents. We don't want a trip to the hospital wing!'

Everyone scrambles to find a partner. A stocky boy wearing the Gryffindor Quidditch captain badge asks the pink-haired girl, and she accepts.

'Everybody ready? Then you may start now.' Immediately cries of various curses fill the room, and about a third of the room falls to the floor. His eyes are on the duel set out right in front of him, the one between the Quidditch captain and the pink haired girl. Clearly they are some of the more talented ones in the class, as they have been attempting to put a large variety of non-verbal spells on each other. All of the other groups have stopped to watch this show put on for them. The girl ducks his curse, and sends a transfiguration spell his way. It makes contact, and with a pop he turns into a tortoise. The girl laughs, and promptly turns him back. Merlin, she has such a nice laugh.

'Great work everybody! As for homework, I would like a 10 inch essay on a curse of your choice, to be handed in on Friday. You are dismissed.'

A mad rush to pack up books and scramble for the door follows. Before she can leave, he quickly rushes over to the pink-haired girl.

'Nice duelling skills you've got there.' She turns scarlet, and to his amazement, so does her hair.

'Well, I'm head of the Duelling club, along with Flitwick, so that has helped.'

'Are you a metamorphmagus? It's just that your hair turned red.'

'Oh!' She looks even more embarrassed at this. 'Yes, I am. Anyway, my name is Nymphadora Tonks, I really have loved talking to you, but I'm probably late for Charms, so I really have to go. See you later!' And with that, she turns and walks as quickly as she can down the corridor.

'What a lovely girl she is,' Remus says to himself quietly.


	3. Chapter 3

*Tonks' pov*

'Crap,' Tonks said to herself. 'Now I'm late for Charms'.

She is running through the corridors, towards the Charms room, when she crashes headlong into a tall witch in emerald green robes.

'Nymphadora Tonks, what are you doing running through the halls? Especially when you're meant to be in class!' Professor McGonagall doesn't seem too angry, just a bit annoyed. Hopefully she can get out of this one without a detention.

'Well, Professor, I am a bit late for Charms, due to the fact that I had to stay behind for a chat to Professor Lupin. So I was running to try and catch up, and I bumped into you.' Hopefully she sounds confident. McGonagall likes confidence. Tonks turns her hair to a light brown. Best not to annoy her.

'Be a bit more careful next time. Don't expect me to be this lenient!' And with that, she turns and stalks off down the corridor.

Tonks quickly darts into the classroom, changing her hair to her favourite pink again. She can't believe her luck.

*Remus' pov*

He has a spare at the moment. He is back in his office with a hot chocolate, enjoying what will probably be the last of his non-homework marking spares. He has absentmindedly taken out his Marauders Map. All the corridors should be empty, but they're not.

Just in front of the Charms classroom, are two dots named Minerva McGonagall and Nymphadora Tonks. He pulls out his wand, and taps the parchment twice. Little speech bubbles come up, telling him what they are saying.

'Nymphadora Tonks, what are you doing running through the halls? Especially when you're meant to be in class!'

'Well, Professor, I am a bit late for Charms, due to the fact that I had to stay behind for a chat to Professor Lupin. So I was running to try and catch up, and I bumped into you.'

'Be a bit more careful next time. Don't expect me to be this lenient!'

He watches as McGonagall stalks off down the corridor, and Nymphadora goes into class. Then he throws the parchment aside. What is he doing, listening to other people's business? He has no right to do that.

He tells himself that he was just making sure she hasn't got a detention. But inside he doesn't believe it. He picks up his hot chocolate, re-heats it with his wand and is just about to settle down with a book when someone knocks on the door. He gets up to find Slughorn standing there.

'Remus, just the man I wished to see.' Bit of a stupid thing to say, as this is his office.

'Horace, what a pleasant surprise. Please, come in.'

Slughorn waddles in, and sits down on the couch.

'What I've been needing to know, Remus, is when to start brewing that potion of yours. It takes a week to make.'

'Well, now would be the time to make it, as the full moon is two weeks away.'

'All right, then, I'll start on it tonight. So, what brings you back here? You never seemed to be the type for teaching.'

'They needed a Defence teacher, and Dumbledore said that I could do it for a year. It would be too hard next year, and Snape's coming back, I doubt that he would make the potion for me perfectly every month, like I am sure you will.'

'Oh, don't flatter me.' Yeah, right. Remus knows that the one thing that Slughorn likes more than comfort and flattery is a box of crystallised pineapple. 'Must be off, Remus, got a lesson to set up.' He shakes Remus' hand, and waddles back out the door.

Remus supposes that he'd better get on with setting up his lesson, but takes a quick glance at the Marauders map. There's Tonks, talking to Professor Flitwick. He double-taps the parchment again.

'You will probably be better to ask Professor Lupin about that. He has much more experience with than I do!'

'All right, I will. Thank you for your help, Professor.'

'Not a trouble, Miss Tonks.'

Tonks' dot turns and walks away from Flicwick's. What does he know more about than Flitwick? And does that mean that Tonks is coming to find him?


	4. Chapter 4

*Tonks' pov*

As she was eating lunch, Tonks was wondering why Professor Lupin would know more about the Fieldius Charm than Professor Flitwick. Flitwick is the Charms teacher, he ought to know about it. Oh well, she'll just have to ask him sometime.

'Hi Tonks,' says a quiet voice behind her. Tonks whips her head around, to find a Charlie Weasley standing behind her, looking shy.

'Charlie, you gave me a fright! How are you?'

'I'm all right. I wanted to ask you something, if that's OK with you.' Clearly he is nervous.

'Ask away.'

'I really don't know how to put this, but I'll have a go.' He takes a deep breath. 'Will you come to Hogsmeade with me?

'Why were you so nervous? Of course I will. Who else is going?'

'No, I meant just you and me.'

'So like a date?'

'Not like a date, a date.'

'Now I understand your nervousness.' Because on the inside, Tonks was nervous herself. To be honest, she wasn't sure if she wanted to go out with Charlie. She had known him ever since she started at Hogwarts. She didn't even like him that way. He was her best friend. She couldn't date a best friend.

'I'm not sure that I can, Charlie.'

'Please. Just one date, and I'll prove to you that you can.' He looks so serious when he says that, and Tonks just can't disagree.

'All right, just one date.'

'Thank you, Tonks. It will be worth it.' He leans in and gives her a hug, then walks away.

Tonks is too busy trying to eat her lunch before Potions to notice a professor sneaking out of the Great Hall.

* * *

*Remus' pov*

He didn't mean to hear her conversation. Truly, he didn't. But sometimes you can't help these things if they are sitting right in front of you. He makes it back to his office after classes, and crashes heavily on the couch in his office.

Why is he so interested in what she does, anyway? She's a student, he's a teacher. They can't be friends. But he just doesn't want her to be hurt. Then comes a knock at his office door. He checks who it is on the map.

'Damn it, Nymphadora. Why now?' he says to himself, as he is opening the door.

'Hi Professor!' she says in a bright bubbly tone.

'Hello, Nymphadora. Come in, and have a seat.' He crosses over to his desk, and sits behind it. She is sitting right across from him.

'What can I help you with?'

'Well, we were learning about the Fieldius charm in Charms, an I understand most of the Secret-Keeper stuff. I asked Professor Flitwick what would happen if the Secret-Keeper died, and he told me that you had more experience with it than me, and could probably explain it. So could you?'

'Professor Flitwick was right, I have had some experience with the charm. Say that the Secret-Keeper has told three people, and then they die, the three people that know become the Secret-Keepers.'

'That makes perfect sense, when you think about it. Thank you.' She gets up to leave, then hesitates at the door. 'Do you think that I could ask your opinion on something else?'

'Of course you can, Nymphadora.'

'Don't call me Nymphadora.'

'I will keep that in mind. What is it that you wanted to ask me?'

'It's a bit personal, but I thought that you would understand. My best friend has asked me out, but I don't want to go out with him. I agreed to go out, but how do I make it clear that we are better off as friends? Specially as I don't want to hurt him, and he seems to want this so much.'

'This is a subject that I haven't had as much experience on, but I'll do my best. I would say to him that you just want to be friends, but at the end. See if he gives you a good time first, and you might reconsider. Just out of personal interest, who might this friend be? I understand if you don't want to tell me.'

'No, no, it's fine. It's Charlie Weasley.'

'He's bound to give you a nice day. Would you like a hot chocolate? I was just thinking of making one when you knocked.'

'I would like that very much, Professor.' He sets about making their hot chocolates, and puts them on the table in front of the couch.

'Come and sit down, and enjoy your hot chocolate.' She crosses the room, and places herself delicately on the couch. They drink their hot chocolates in silence.

'Thank you for the drink and the advice, Professor. Goodbye.' She gets up from the couch, cleans out her mug with a quick spell and walks out of his office.

He is thinking back over his previous thought about them not being friends. It was perfectly possible. But he can't help feeling a twinge of something that is not normally there. Is it jealousy? Why would he be jealous? When he thinks about it, he probably would like to be the one that takes her out somewhere. But he can't be jealous of Charlie Weasley. He just can't.

**Thank you to my two followers, and PrincessDreamGirl for recommending this story.  
Reviews make me smile, so thank you for them too.**


	5. Chapter 5

'Tonks' pov'

The week flew by, with nothing of interest happening. Tonks sat at the back of most of her lessons, quite unusual for her. She was just so nervous about this weekend. She needed to know more, more than Professor Lupin had told her. At least she didn't have any homework to worry about, at least that was all done on the weeknights.

On Saturday morning, Tonks really didn't want to get up. Usually on Saturdays she slept in, then went to Hogsmeade later in the day, but Charlie probably expected to spend the whole day with her. Shame, really. She knew where she really wanted to be.

She got up anyway, and started getting ready. She hadn't had any experience with this kind of thing at all. She was glad that the Sorting Hat got it wrong, and put in 6 Hufflepuff first year girls. She was also glad that Dumbledore had given her the single room. If not the other girls would be asking why was she sitting on her bed, thinking of what to do and how to act.

This is why she doesn't like this type of thing. She always over thinks things. But right now her brain is telling her to get dressed, so she does. She puts on her acid green jeans, a Weird Sisters t-shirt that is a bit too big, and her black boots. She makes her hair her natural colour, a light brown, and goes down to the Great Hall for breakfast before she can psych herself out of it.

She doesn't see him at breakfast, and is waiting for him in the Entrance hall for at least 15 minutes before he arrives.

'Sorry about that Tonks, I couldn't pull myself away from all the other guys in the dormitory. They all were wondering who I was taking and all that, but I knew that you were nervous so I didn't tell them.'

'It's OK.'

They walk to Hogsmeade in silence, occasionally snatching a glance at each other. He was wearing dark jeans and a black sweater. They looked so different, walking together. Tonks was wondering why she was stupid enough not to wear a jacket.

Once they make it into Hogsmeade, he pulls her towards The Three Broomsticks, where they sit at a table near the door. Charlie gets up, and returns with two Butterbeers. He hands one to her.

'Thanks.' She can't think of anything else to say. Really she can't think of anything else but where else she could be and who else she could be with.'

'So...' He trails off, clearly at a loss for words. He drinks all of his butter beer in one to have something to do, then goes and gets another one.

Tonks sips daintily at hers. 'I don't think that was a very wise decision, Charlie.'

'Oh well. Can't take it back now.'

She finishes her drink, and by that time Charlie has drained his fourth.

'Hey Tonks! I've got a great idea! Come with me.' He grabs her by the hand, and before she can protest, he is dragging her up the hill towards the Shrieking Shack. 'Do you want to try and get in?'

'No thank you.'

'Come on, Tonks, you used to be so much fun.'

'Maybe that's because my company has never usually had 4 Butterbeers!' she says, flaring up at once. 'I really don't think that this was a good idea. Goodbye.'

She starts to trudge down the hill, and is stopped by a hand sliding around her waist.

'Charlie, stop it!'

'You know, I've wanted to do this for ages,' he says as he starts kissing her.

She freezes in shock, and realises that this is not what she wants. So she does something about it. She turns around, and slaps him as hard as she can.

'Hey! What was that for?'

'Look, next time think before you act, so that you actually might get somewhere!' She turns and starts running down the hill, running back to Hogwarts, her tears freezing on her face. She never stops to think that he might be following her, so when she gets to the Entrance Hall, she stops to catch her breath and make her tears stop. Then she hears him.

'What do you mean, get somewhere?' He looks furious.

'I mean get into a steady relationship with someone! You always go and have too much to drink, then you creep the girl out!' She doesn't realise that her hair is going red.

Onlookers from the crowd of people have gone deathly silent as Charlie approaches Tonks.

'Now you've gone too far, missy.' He punches her in the face, and as she falls to the floor, he kicks her, hard, for good measure. She is slumped on the ground, unconscious.

'CHARLIE WEASLEY, explain yourself!' An immensely angry McGonagall comes out of the Great Hall, closely followed by Professor Lupin.

'Remus, take Miss Tonks to the Hospital wing. And you, Mr Weasley, will come straight to my office.' McGonagall turns to the crowd. 'Well? Off you go!' She is in such a fierce mood that the crowd immediately disperses. McGonagall leads Charlie to her office, leaving Lupin to take care of Tonks.

He points her wand at her. 'Renervate!' She wakes up to Professor Lupin standing over her, looking worried. 'Do you need to go to the Hospital Wing?'

'Nah, I'll live. Mostly just angry with Charlie.'

'You should come to my office, though, in case you're not fine.' She stands up, then nearly falls over again. Lupin catches her just in time. 'Clearly, you're not fine.'

'Please, not the hospital wing! I've spent enough time in there to last me a lifetime!'

'Fine, but you're coming to my office.' He picks her up, carries her to his office and lays her down on the couch. 'Now, is there anything that you need?'

She didn't hear, as the pain finally got to her and she passed out.


	6. Chapter 6

*Remus' pov*

Curse that boy! And he thought that he was nice! She shouldn't have gone. When she was talking to him, it didn't seem like she wanted to go. But anyway. She is now on his couch, seemingly asleep. Remus picks her up again, and takes her to the hospital wing.

'What has happened to her now, Remus?' Madam Pomfrey has come out of her office to gaze at Tonks.

'She was hit in the face, and kicked in the stomach. Quite hard.' Saying it seemed to make it worse.

'Who would do such a monstrous thing? Put her on this bed, Remus.' She bustles off to find a pain reliever, leaving Remus to put her on a bed. He pulls the curtains around it, and brushes her hair off her face. She is wakes up, and gives him a small smile. She is struggling to sit up, so Remus gives her a hand.

'Well, Remus, you never answered my question. I repeat, who did this to her?'

Remus opened his mouth to answer, then shut it again when Tonks answered.

'Charlie Weasley.' She sat up.

'Well I never! That boy was always so polite, and so -'

'Would you like me to tell you the whole story?' Tonks looks up at Madam Pomfrey.

'Yes, I would.'

*Tonks' pov*

Great! Now she wants to hear the whole story! Tonks really doesn't want to repeat it, but she doesn't have a choice.

'I'll probably have to repeat this to Professor McGonagall as well, but anyway. We were in Hogsmeade, in the Three Broomsticks. He had 4 Butterbeers, and that probably influenced his decision a bit. But after that he dragged me up to the Shrieking Shack and tried to get me to break in, but I wouldn't. He told me that I used to be really fun to be around, then I got a little bit angry. Then - ' She breaks off, looking sad.

'Do you want to continue? Because if you don't, I have someone else in here that I could be tending to.'

'No, I will continue. So then he grabbed me and he kissed me. I didn't want him to, so I slapped him on the arm, and I ran off. Then you saw what happened in the Entrance Hall.'

'Well! You seem to be fine, but Remus said that you were kicked very hard. The boy is quite strong, so there may be a broken rib or two, but nothing serious. You are still going to stay the night.'

_And there goes me thinking that I've had enough time in here for my whole life, _Tonks says to herself. She lies down again, and after ten minutes, re-discovers that the Hospital Wing is a very boring place to be. Then she realises that Lupin is still still standing next to her.

'Can I help you with anything, _Remus_?' she says in a mischievous way.

'Shut up, Nymphadora.'

'It's Tonks. And why are you still here? You probably have more important things to be doing anyway.'

'It's Professor Lupin, and no I don't. I'm staying here, unless Charlie gets released from Professor McGonagalls wrath soon.'

'But why are you staying?'

'I don't know, maybe it's that you are one of my students, and that I can't stand any of my students being hurt. Or maybe...' He trails off, as if he is realising something.

'Professor? Are you all right?'

'I'm sorry, Nymphadora, but I really must be going now.' He rushes out of the Hospital wing.

_Why would he say that he wants to stay, then run out of here like a Dementor from a Patronus? _This is the only thing to think about, so Tonks spends the rest of the afternoon thinking about it. She doesn't want to think about Charlie, or she will probably burst into tears. She doesn't think about his red hair, or the anger in his eyes when he hit her, or that he has been her best friend ever since the first day of school. Or that's what she tells herself. Just as she is pulling the hangings around her bed, Madam Pomfrey walks in with some pyjamas.

'I just thought that you might want to put these on, then I can have a look at those injuries.' She walks out, and shuts the curtains. Tonks puts on the pyjamas, and shoves her clothes under her bed. Some things never change.

'You done in there, Tonks?'

'Yes.'

Madam Pomfrey walks in with her wand out, and casts a few quick spells. 'Well, it seems to be two broken ribs, and some minor bruising.' She casts a few more spells, then says goodbye and begins to walk out when Tonks stops her. 'Yes, dear?'

'Do you have anything that will make me sleep until tomorrow? Because boredom and I are not on the best of terms right now.'

'Of course, I'll be back in a minute.' She dashes out, then returns quickly with a purple potion. 'Before you take it, you might want to know that you have a visitor.'

'Oh! Let them in.'

She pulls the curtains back to reveal two red-headed young boys.

'Fred and George. Why are you here?'

'To see if it was true. So Charlie actually did punch you?' says one of them.

'Yes, he did. Much to my displeasure.'

'We can't stay for long, we've got Quidditch trials. But we just wanted to give you this.' They produce a single rose and hand it to her.

'How, um, thoughtful.'

'It's not from us. It's from Charlie. He didn't think it wise to show his face.'

'He was damn well right! Thank you, boys, and good luck at Quidditch trials.'

'Also thought you would want to know that Charlie has been banned from Quidditch. Bye now!' They flounce off.

Tonks waits until she hears them go out of the Hospital Wing, then shuts the hangings with her wand and examines the rose. Then she pulls off all the petals, sets them alight with her wand and does the same with the stalk. That made her feel fractionally better. Then she drank the potion.

_Hopefully this month doesn't get and stranger,_ she thinks as she drifts into a dreamless sleep.


	7. Chapter 7

*Tonks' pov*

Tonks was right in saying that this month hadn't gotten any weirder. And there was only a few hours to go, so she thought that she was pretty safe in saying that. At least, until her last Defence Against the Dark Arts lesson for the week. When they had Slughorn. When they did Patronuses.

'Hello class. Can anyone fill me in on what your class has been doing for the last month?'

Hands shoot up into the air, and Slughorn picks Charlie.

'We've been focusing on duelling, and we were due to start Dementors and Patronuses today.'

'As I really don't like Dementors, and Professor Lupin has not left any instructions, we will have a duelling competition. I will be participating too. May the best duellist win!'

Tonks is paired up with Slughorn. Her hair turns red.

'And three! Two! One! GO!'

Tonks doesn't wait until Slughorn has turned back to her, she sends a Stunner his way. It misses his head by a millimetre.

'Nice shot, Nymphadora.'

Tonks makes a growling noise, deep in the back of her throat. She sends spell after spell at him, while he blocks and dodges them with the agility of a much smaller man. Finally a Body-Binding Curse makes contact, and he falls to the floor. Tonks considers leaving him there, but realises that the class needs him and performs the counter-curse.

'Winners up the front, please!'

Some of the duels are still going, but Tonks, Charlie and a couple of others walk up to the front. The defeated sit along the back. Tonks notices Charlie's eyes on her, and quickly walks away to stand next to another of her house. Finally only the winners remain, then Slughorn divides them up again. This goes on until there are only two people left. These people are Tonks and Charlie.

'All right, are you ready? Three, two, one, GO!'

Flashes of light bounce from both wands. He gets hit by a Tickling Jinx, then manages to get rid of it before he collapses. He gives off a Jelly-Legs Curse, that takes contact and she wobbles around for a little bit. She then hits him with a Stunner, that makes him fall to the floor.

'And well done, Nymphadora! Let's have a round of applause for this extraordinary young girl!' Slughorn performs the counter-curse, and pulls her up onto his teacher's platform. 'You are dismissed, and have a lovely weekend!'

Tonks runs down to her desk, grabs her things, and takes the spell off Charlie. She is out the door before anyone else can congratulate her.

She arrives outside the hospital wing, a bit short of breath. She is all ready to burst in, and has the door half open when a painful curse hits her in the back of the head. She turns around, but she is starting to fall by then and she isn't sure if it was real.

* * *

*Charlie's pov*

She deserved it. She shouldn't have been able to use that spell with the jinx on her. He had gone into that thinking that he had the upper hand. She proved that she was still angry at him, and had bested him again. So he had asked a Slytherin that he knew hated her to curse her. He had, willingly. But he still can't help but feel a bit guilty.

'Hey, Charlie, just cursed her.' The Slytherin, a tall, hulking figure, grins at him.

'Right. Thanks, Rabastan.'

The Lestrange boy walks off down the corridor, muttering to himself.

He still feels bad. But he also feels that someone needed to beat Tonks in something.

* * *

*Tonks' pov*

Someone is shaking her awake. 'Nymphadora, wake up!'

She opens her eyes, only to close them again because of the bright lights of the room. 'Ugh, my head.'

'I know it's bad, but you have to get up into a bed at least, then I can take the curse off you.' She suddenly realises that it is Professor Lupin talking.

'Why not Madam Pomfrey?'

'I know a lot more about Dark curses than her. Now, up you get!' He pulls her into the Hospital Wing, and onto the closest bed without much trouble. 'Now I really will need you to open your eyes.'

'Am I allowed to squint?'

'As long as you can see.'

She squints up at the ceiling, then thinks better of it and morphs her hair over her eyes. Or at least tries to. She finds that she can't. 'Professor?'

'Just wait a bit, I have to get rid of this curse.' He works away for a few minutes, then stops and looks at her. 'All right, you're fine now. What was your question?'

'Just before I fell, I think that I saw a person standing there.'

'And? That's not a question.'

'What would Rabastan Lestrange be doing outside the hospital wing? With his wand drawn?'

'I think we have just found the one that cursed you.'

'But why? I mean, I know he hates me, but not that much!'

'He's a Slytherin. If it were anyone to know this dark magic, then I would be betting on him. But it's over now.'

'Another thing. Why can't I morph my hair?'

'It might have just been the curse. Try it now.' She tries, but the same results come.

'Nope.'

'I don't know why. But you no longer need to stay here, if you don't want to.' She jumps off the bed as soon as he says that. 'Also, what were you doing here, Nymphadora?'

'It's Tonks. And I came to see you.'

'Oh, um, why?'

'We had Slughorn for Defence today. I wanted to know what was wrong, as he said that you were sick.'

'I am touched, Nymphadora. Thank you. Would you like to come to my office for a hot chocolate? I always find that to be a good way to shake off a jinx or a curse.'

'Really, Professor? All you need is the counter-curse.'

'Well, I like hot chocolate!'

'All right, then.' They walk to his office together, and he makes the hot chocolates. They sit in his couch talking about random things, until the bell for curfew rings and they say goodbye.

On the walk back, Tonks reflects that just a few hours ago, she thought that her month wouldn't get any weirder.


	8. Chapter 8

*Tonks' pov*

She woke the next morning, not wishing to get up. Then she realised that it was Saturday, so she could either get up and catch the Ravenclaw/Slytherin Quidditch match in the bitter cold, or she could stay nice and warm in her bed and miss the match. Tough choice. But as she lies in bed thinking about it, she realises that she's lying in bed and it can stay that way very easily. So she picks up her Defence Against the Dark Arts textbook and starts reading.

'Tonks! You coming to the Quidditch?' Her fellow Hufflepuff, Rolf Scamander, bursts into the room.

She sits up. 'Nah, I think I'll stay in bed. It's cold out.'

'Fine. What are you reading?'

She tries to hide the book. 'Oh, nothing much.'

He grabs at the book and holds it up. 'Well well! I never had you pinned as a book type, Tonks. And who needs Defence against the Dark Arts anyway? He's gone!'

'Just because you failed your Defence OWL, it doesn't mean that others don't like it. And when he comes back, I will be very glad that I studied it.'

'And just because you got an O, it doesn't mean that you have to become obsessed with the topic.'

'Obsessed? I'm not obsessed! But thanks for coming to see me, Rolf.'

'OK, bye then.' He walks out, waving at her on the way. She flops back down, and continues reading. Maybe she was a little obsessed. But if she wants to become an Auror, then it's what she has to do. She gets up to go and have a bit of breakfast.

* * *

*Remus' pov*

The full moon was only 2 nights ago. He is still a little weak. But he had to mark those essays before Monday, and better sooner than later. So he sets off, gradually marking them all, then goes down to have a quick bite to eat, and who should he walk into but Nymphadora Tonks, yawning and coming out of the Hufflepuff commonroom. Literally, walk into. He only just caught her from falling.

'Wotcher Professor!' She looks like she just got out of bed, and is still half asleep.

'Hello, Nymphadora. Going to breakfast?'

'Yes, I am. And you know not to call me Nymphadora!'

'I'm not calling you Tonks.'

'Why not?'

'I call all my students by their given names.' Really he felt like he needed to call her something special, something that only he called her. And he hadn't thought up anything else yet.

''Well, you can find something different.' They bickered all the way down to breakfast, where he sat down and opened the Daily Prophet. Right there, on the front page, was the news that Celestina Warbeck has a new song. That proved that nothing interesting had happened. He quickly ate something, and headed back up to his private quarters. He pulled out the Marauders Map.

Dumbledore, in his office. Filch, prowling the dungeons. Mrs Norris, outside his door. And there's Tonks, going down a secret passageway, the one behind the One-Eyed Witch. He bursts out of his office, gives Mrs Norris a sly kick and heads to the passageway. Once he's sure that no-one's watching, he whispers, 'Dissendium,' and climbs into the passageway. He sneaks up behind her, as she's walking quite slowly. And he scares her.

'Remus! You gave he a fright!'

'How did you come across this passageway?'

'Just some of my strollings. How come you know about it? Being a teacher, and all.'

I think that some students forget that we teachers were students once, my education here not long ago. You must be one of those students.'

'No, but how had you discovered it? I've had to clear out heaps of cobwebs!'

He considers telling her about the map. But he realises that telling her would mean no more 'accidentally' bumping into her in the hallways, so he decides on a little bit of the truth.

'I was a member of a group called the Marauders, when I was at school. One of us, James, had an invisibility cloak, so at night we used to roam the school, searching for passageways. It did help that they were all Animaguses.'

'And you weren't?'

'No, I wasn't.'

'Why not? Not smart enough?'

'I had my reasons. I still have those reasons.' He doesn't want her to know about his condition. Who knows what would happen if he did? He didn't want to take that risk.

'Is one of those reasons not being smart enough?' Her words are maddeningly adorable. He just called a student adorable. What is wrong with him?

'No, it's not.'

'Are you going to tell me one of those reasons?'

'No, I am not. You would run off scared.'

'Try me.'

'No. I can't. If you even witnessed it, you would be dead. And I'm not joking, Nymphadora.'

'So you're talking about something out of your control, that obviously happens quite regularly. At least tell me if that's true.'

'Fine. That is true. I must be going now.' He turns around when Tonks talks again.

'Professor? Do you know where this passageway leads?'

'I do.'

'Can you tell me?'

'I can.'

Her frustration is quite apparent. 'Will you?'

'I will. It leads to the cellar of Honeydukes, right near the stairs up. It is quite easy to slip out from behind the counter, specially as it will be packed today. Have fun.' He winks at her, and walks back the way they came.

Really, what has gotten into him today?

* * *

*Tonks' pov*

The passageway ended just as he had said it would. She slipped out from behind the counter, bought some Chocolate Frogs, and headed up the path towards the Shrieking Shack. Back where she had slapped Charlie.

She thinks that she ought to go and apologise to him, but she really just wants to know if he'll apologise to her. She doubts it. But on that day, she really did want to break into the Shrieking Shack, but not with him. She wants to do it alone. So she does. She has just shimmied in through a little crack in the wall (thank god for her Metamorphmagic skills) when some 4th years walk up. She ducks down, underneath the window. This gives her the chance to inspect the furniture.

Cracks in the wall. Tears in the fabric. A chair, lying on its side, with a leg ripped off. She had once heard a rumour that some nasty ghosts lived up here, and you could hear them occasionally. But ghosts couldn't do that. They could be poltergeists, but they would have come out by now.

It must be something dangerous.

She starts to explore the little house. Nothing much, except a passageway leading up. She takes a last look around the pitiful place, then walks up the passageway. There's no cobwebs in this one, but there is a low stone ceiling that she hit her head on a few times, until she had the sense to morph herself a little shorter so that her head doesn't hit it.

She sees some daylight, and quickly heads towards it. She sticks her head out, only to pull it back in because of a branch that swung dangerously close to her head. 'Damn, the Whomping Willow', she thinks.

She morphs back to her normal size, then puts her hands out of the passageway, finding a knot-hole on the trunk. As soon as she touches that knot-hole, the tree freezes. She takes this opportunity to slip out of the passageway, lest the tree starts moving again, and heads to her dormitory, to get herself cleaned up again.

'Cool, 2 passageways to Hogwarts found in a day!' she says quietly when she gets up to her room. She cleans herself up, and falls down on the bed to go to sleep.

* * *

*Remus' pov*

He watched her dot move to Hogsmeade. Thirty minutes later, her dot moves along a different passageway, the one from his shack. Hopefully the tree doesn't tear her to bits. And hopefully she hasn't thought too hard about what might have caused that kind of damage to the furniture. He shudders, and pulls his blanket even tighter around him.


	9. Chapter 9

*Tonks' pov*

This week they will be starting work on Boggarts. Like Professor Lupin said they would. Tonks was slightly nervous when she walked into the classroom. Not of the boggart, but of what the boggart might show.

'Hello class! I apologise for the last lesson, but I chose a very inconvenient time to fall sick. As you should know, this following week we are to go back over Boggarts. I know you've done them before, but it can't hurt if you go over something you've already been through. Unless it's the Cruciatus Curse.'

Half of the class laughed. The only Slytherin in the class, Rabastan, mutters something under his breath. Hopefully it's nothing too bad.

'Now, I've been searching the castle for Boggarts ever since the term started, and I've managed to get about 5. So split up into groups of 4 and come to collect a Boggart.'

The class rushes to find groups. Tonks seems a little lost. She usually groups with Charlie, but as she's not talking to him, then that leaves her a bit confused. Until Rolf asks her to come into his group of three. Him, Tonks, Charlie and Rabastan. What a lovely group.

'Now, I've set up little areas for each person to tackle the Boggart in. One at a time, please. You may begin.' A short conversation about who goes first follows, then Rolf grabs the box and heads into their area.

A thud. A high, cold laugh, then a cry of 'Riddikulus!', then there is silence. Rolf bursts out, with a smile on his face.

'Here you go,' he says as he gives the box to Charlie. Charlie accepts it, and walks into the little closed-off area.

'So, what was yours, Rolf?' asks Tonks.

'The Dark Lord. But he turned into a statue made of marble, so it's all good. Bet half of the Boggarts in here are him.'

'Yeah, fair point.'

They wait for Charlie to emerge. He does, white-faced and shaking, and shoves the box into Rabastan's hands. He turns without a word and heads off into their area.

'What happened, Charlie?'

'I forgot the spell. So when it came at me, I panicked.'

'What form did it take?'

'I can't say. Not in front of _her_.'

'All right.' Rolf looks slightly puzzled. But then Rabastan walks back out, and shoves the box towards Tonks. She takes it, and walks into their area. She takes a deep breath, and not even knowing what her boggart may be, opens the box.

Immediately, a dark shadow flits out of it. It sees her, and immediately forms two shapes, spread-eagled on the ground. She takes a closer look, and realises that they are her parents.

She stumbles back, feeling nauseated. But she realises that she has to beat the boggart to get through the lesson, so she imagines them getting up and dancing and cries 'Riddikulus!'

They get up and start to dance, and Tonks forces them back into the box. She slams the lid shut, and sits down for a moment. Now she will have to send a letter to them, explaining her boggart and why she was so concerned. She walks out to give the box back to Professor Lupin.

'Thank you, Nymphadora. And just out of curiosity, what was your boggart?'

'I'm not telling you. And just out of curiosity, why do you keep calling me Nymphadora? You know that I hate it.'

'I do know that you hate it, and that's why I keep saying it.'

'Gee, thanks.' Tonks walks back to her group. Charlie is back to his old self. He walks over.

'Tonks, I need to tell you something. It was very wrong of me, what I did. I haven't gone a day since it that I haven't regretted it. If you would forgive me, just this once, then I would be forever grateful.'

Wow. He apologised. 'Thank you, Charlie. I have missed you ever so much.' She gives him a smile, and turns her attention to the man up the front.

'Well done today, class. It's not easy to face your greatest fear, so congratulations to those that did it. You are dismissed.' They all leave to go to lunch.

'Charlie?'

'Yeah?'

'You know that I was cursed, right? Do you think you have any idea who might have done it?'

'Well, yes, I know exactly who organised it and who pulled it off.'

'Could you tell me?' She gave off her best dazzling look so that he couldn't refuse.

'All right. For the one that cursed you, that was Rabastan.'

'Yes, I assumed as much, seeing as I caught a glimpse of him as he ran away.' He looks shocked.

'You weren't supposed to see that. The curse was meant to be fool-proof.'

'Charlie, are you saying that you know more about it than the average onlooker?'

'Umm...'

'Tell me!' She glares at him.

'I'm truly sorry, Tonks.'

'It was you?'

'Yes.' This was almost a whisper.

'I don't believe it!'

'Tonks, I'm sorry. You said you would forgive me.'

'Yeah, I would, but that was before you broke the news of you organising the curse that put me in the hospital wing!' She turns and stalks away, to the Great Hall. He doesn't follow.

She sits herself down at the Hufflepuff table, and thinks it over. Why had Charlie organised this? But before she could ponder for too long, the Daily Prophet lands in front of her. She buries herself into it, wanting to get away from the world.

Front page - news about a mass breakout from Azkaban. Some of the people that were out were Alecto and Amycus Carrow, Antonin Dolohov and a Yaxley. Probably the worst news of the day.

The second page was devoted to wanted posters of all these Death Eaters, plus more. One that caught her eye was Bellatrix Lestrange, a woman that looked vaguely like her mother. She read the whole poster.

Apparently Bellatrix was married to Rodolphus Lestrange, and was previously called Bellatrix Black. So, she was related to Tonks. She shuddered.

She was wanted for the torturing of Frank and Alice Longbottom, and the killings of Ted and Andromeda Tonks.

It took Tonks a while for this information to sink in. She read and re-read the page. Then she turned to the death notices. A little part on a married couple, that had been killed previously in the week. But nothing on them.

The tears started falling, and she slumped forward onto the table. This can't be! She wrote to them only yesterday!

But she realised that they may not have gotten that letter. She stays on the bench for the whole of lunch, and lets the people pass around her. She can't talk to anyone. She doesn't want to move.

She stays there until the bell goes for the next lesson. She's meant to be in Potions, but she doesn't have the heart. Instead she goes off to her bedroom and lays there, sobbing, on the bed.

* * *

*Remus' pov*

Bellatrix Lestrange, married to Rodolphus, previously known as Bellatrix Black. He was about to shut the newspaper when he saw a familiar name. Tonks. Why is she there? Then he finds it.

'Wanted for the torturings of Frank and Alice Longbottom, and the killings of Ted and Andromeda Tonks.'

He looks up as a mousy-haired student leaves the hall. The last student to leave. He knows that it will be her. The way she walks.

He gets up, and rushes after her.

She walks into the Entrance Hall and down a little staircase. He follows that staircase until he finds himself near the kitchens, with a lone pile of barrels. He now remembers how to get in. He finds the barrel second from the bottom, and taps it with his wand to the rhythm of 'Helga Hufflepuff'. It allows him entrance. He walks down another few stairs, and enters the commonroom.

He has to pause for a second to look at the sheer amazement of it. Filled with plants, the windows open to a view of grass and dandelions. He crosses over to the wall and follows the directions up to the Seventh Year Girls dormitories. There is a door marked neatly, 'N. Tonks', so he goes through that door and up another small staircase.

He is jogging, until he runs into another door. He looks through the glass and sees a room, with a figure face-down on the bed. He knocks on the door.

'I don't want to talk, Rolf.'

'It's not Rolf.'

The door opens, and she looks on with confusion.

'What are you doing here, Professor?'

'I noticed that poster in the newspaper. I noticed that you didn't go to Charms. I figured that you'd come back here.'

'And you followed me?'

'Yes. You seemed to be incredibly upset, and you looked like you needed comfort. So here I am.'

'Thank you.' She walks back into her room, and sits on the bed. 'You can come in if you want.' She starts to cry again, as if she had been holding it off all through the conversation.

Remus comes and sits next to her. 'Don't worry, Nymphadora.'

'So my parents die, and all you can say is don't worry?'

He puts his arms around her. 'I'm not asking you to do anything. I'm just simply telling you not to worry, that she will be caught eventually.'

'It's just that my boggart was exactly this! Them dying! And now it's happened, now I don't know what to do!' She buries her face in his shoulder. 'And also, Charlie told me that it was Rabastan that cursed me, and that he organised it!'

'Your situation is a horrible one to be in right now, Dora.'

'Dora?'

'You hate Nymphadora. You told me just an hour ago.'

'Thank you for changing it. Could I possibly have some time alone now?'

'Of course.' He kisses her gently on the hair, and leaves.

He can still hear her crying as he walks down the stairs.


	10. Chapter 10

*Tonks' pov*

She has to pull herself together. She can't go on like this forever. Although right now, it seems like she can have a pretty good go at it. It seems like her world has ended, like there is nothing left to keep her pulled down.

So she decides to go and ask Rolf if she can use the Prefects Bathroom.

'Why do you want to?'

'Have you read the Daily Prophet? As in cover to cover?'

'No, why?'

'It said that my parents were killed by Bellatrix Lestrange. On her wanted poster.'

'Oh. I'm sorry, Tonks. And yes, you can use the bathroom. The password's Pine-Fresh. I trust you know where it is?'

'Yes, thanks.'

She waited until after curfew, not wanting to turn up to dinner, and ran towards it. She gasped the password to the door, and slipped in, making sure to lock it behind her. Then she turned around, and was astounded by what she saw.

A pool sized bathtub, with about 100 different taps, all with different gems set into the handles. A massive pile of fluffy white towels. She was glad that she was in here, even if it was against the rules.

She takes a couple of the towels, and sets them down near the bathtub/swimming pool. Then she turned on one of the taps, the one with the dark blue diamond on it. It started to fill the pool with a lot of water, and bright green bubbles that smelled of chocolate. She briefly thought of Remus as she got into her singlet and shorts, as he would love these bubbles.

The pool/bath filled considerably quickly judging by its size.

Tonks dipped a foot in, then realised that it was the perfect temperature and jumped in. She cast the Bubble-Head Charm on herself, and went under the surface.

She lays there for a while, trying to forget everything that has happened in the last few days.

* * *

*Remus' pov*

The first thing that he does after he talks to Tonks is go back down to his room, and waits there. He doesn't even know what he's waiting for. Then he goes to dinner.

He sits up at the teachers table, and looks at all the students. She's not there. He understands that she needs time to get her head around this. As he sits eating his trifle, he ponders what it would be like, having your best friend organise a curse put on you and then hearing the news that your parents died, right in the same day.

After his dinner, he heads off to see the Headmaster.

Albus, as it turns out, was not in his office, but in the library. Remus walks up to him, interrupting his book.

'Remus, to what do I owe the pleasure?'

'Hello, Albus.' He sits down opposite the wizard. 'I wouldn't have disturbed you, if it were not important.'

'And I very well know that. What is so important that you disturbed my reading?'

'Did you read the Daily Prophet today? Especially the wanted posters?'

'Of course I did.'

'It said on Bellatrix's poster that she had killed Nymphadora's parents.'

'Ah, yes. I suppose you want my permission to take her to her family home, to see if anything is left?'

'Yes, actually, I do.'

'Very well. You may take her this weekend, if she is willing. I myself will talk to her about it.'

'Thank you very much, Albus.' He turns and walks out of the library, before Dumbledore can change his mind.

* * *

*Tonks' pov*

The next day, she is summoned to the Headmaster's office. She gets up, walks to it and knocks on the heavy wooden door. It opens for her immediately.

'Ah, Miss Tonks. Come in, come in.' He holds the door open for her.

'Hello, Professor.' She walks in, and stands awkwardly at the door.

'Do sit down,' he says whilst seating himself behind the desk. She places herself across from him.

'Now, it has been brought to my attention that your parents were killed by Bellatrix Lestrange.' She freezes.

'Um, yes, they were.' She looks down at his desk, while he sits, pondering what to say next.

'Professor Lupin asked for permission to take you to your parents estate this weekend, to get the things that you wish from their house.'

'Oh. Well, that would be fine.'

'And also, your parents will has been discovered. They left you a few things. Would you like to know what they are?'

'All right, I guess.'

'They left you their house along with everything in it. Most of their money went to various charities, wizard and Muggle alike. I expect that Ted mad a say in that.'

'Where did the little bit that wasn't charities go?'

'That went to Andromeda's cousin, Master Sirius Black.'

'Isn't he the one that killed all of those people? As well as Peter Pettigrew?'

'Yes, he was.'

'And if he was Mum's cousin, that makes him somehow related to me.'

'I wouldn't be ashamed of it, dear girl. My own brother practiced charms on goats. You have nothing to be ashamed of.'

'Her maiden name was Black. So was Bellatrix's. Does that mean that they were related?'

Dumbledore hesitated. 'Yes, they were. They were sisters.'

Tonks fell silent. How could you do that to your own sister?

'Now, if you are going on this trip, you will have to understand a few things. First, that Remus will be acting as a parent/guardian throughout the trip. He will give you the details after your next defence lesson.'

'All right, but could we stick with guardian? Because parent doesn't sound too kind to me.'

'Of course. And also, you will have to attend all classes this next 2 days.'

'Okay. I promise that I will.'

'Very well. You may take the last 10 minutes of this lesson off, and head off to lunch early.'

'Thank you very much, Professor.'

'You are most certainly welcome, Miss Tonks. Goodbye now.'

'Bye.' She walks out of the door, and down to start an early lunch. She would talk to Remus later.


	11. Chapter 11

*Tonks' pov*

She had been hanging out for the end of classes since the start of Potions. Such a shame that Professor Slughorn was not going to let them out until they had finished the potion.

'Rolf, not bad. Too much stirring though. It shouldn't be that dark.'

Slughorn is moving about the classroom, assessing all the potions.

'How is yours coming along, Nymphadora?' She gives off a glare, but he's too busy looking into her potion.

'Fine.'

'This is nothing compared to your usual standard! What's happened?' he asks incredulously.

'Just a little issue with my parents.' She hopes that he won't want details.

'Well, this would only achieve an Acceptable at NEWT standards, I'm afraid. And what did happen with your parents? They were perfectly kind people, from what I remembered.'

'I - ' She really doesn't want to talk. 'I really don't want to talk about it.'

'I will be asking the Headmaster, if it will affect your work this drastically.'

'Yeah, good idea. Ask him, he will tell you.' She turns back to making her potion.

Slughorn turns to Charlie's cauldron, which to Tonks' great distaste was sitting right next to hers.

'Weasley, this wouldn't even get an A! What is wrong with this class today?' He walks back up to the front, shaking his head.

As Charlie tries in vain to fix his potion, Tonks regards him curiously. What would have brought him to do that? Why did he want to curse her so much, so much that he got a Slytherin to do it for him?

As she ponders over this, she doesn't realise that her potion is curdling at the bottom of her cauldron.

'All right, class! Your time is up. I don't expect a sample of this, it was far above the NEWT level anyway. I just wanted to see how everyone would take it. Clean up your things, and you are dismissed!'

Tonks gets rid of her potion/dumpling, then quickly cleans out her cauldron and puts away all of her materials. On the way out of the classroom, Charlie bumps into her, and sends her to the floor.

'Sorry, didn't see you there, _Nymphadora._' He sneers at her.

'Well maybe you need glasses! And DON'T CALL ME NYMPHADORA!'

She gets up and runs all the way to his office, jumping over Professor Flitwick in her hurry.

'Sorry!' she yells over her shoulder as she reaches his office. She knocks on the door, and waits for him to open it. Lupin walks up the corridor.

'Hello Dora, I presume you were waiting for me?'

'Yes, I was.'

'Come in then.' He opens the door, and waits for her to walk in.

'Well then, what can I do for you?'

'Professor Dumbledore told me that you were going to take me to my parents house.'

'Ah yes. I will escort you there this weekend. It is quite far away, so we will stay the night there, if you will allow it.'

'Of course.'

She knows that she is about to start crying, but she doesn't know how to prevent it. So she just ducks her head, and tries to morph her feelings away. Not that it worked or anything.

'It's okay, Dora.' Lupin comes closer, and puts an arm around her.

'I know, but I don't know what to expect. They might even have been murdered in their house, for all I know! I don't want to be in the place where they died!'

'I can say that I understand.'

This shocked her. 'Why?'

'My parents... They turned on me as a child, and decided that they didn't want me any more. So they tried to dispose of me. I was very young, about 4 or 5.'

He shakes back his sleeves, to reveal some very old scars on his wrist.

'How could they do that? To their own son!'

'That's like asking how could Bellatrix murder your parents.'

'I suppose it is.' She takes time to think this over. Then she realises how close he is sitting. He is pressed up against her. She puts her head on his shoulder.

'But why didn't they want you? What could ever make any decent parents think that?' He smiles at her, the smile that he always reserves just for her.

'I'm afraid that my parents weren't very good parents. They weren't sure that I would be allowed at Hogwarts.'

'Any witch or wizard is accepted!'

'Try telling them that.' She likes that he chose to sit this close. She feels like this was meant to happen, like he was meant to take her to Hogsmeade. Instead of Charlie.

_Traitor._

Then she realises that she may have fallen in love with her favourite teacher.

She likes that thought. She likes it a lot.

'So how are we going to get up there?' She tries to steer the conversation back to their former topic.

'Apparation. I presume that you can Apparate?'

'Yes, I passed the test last year.'

'Good. Then we will Apparate up at around noon on Saturday, and return at noon on Sunday. We will stay at your house.'

'That sounds fine. Thanks.'

She gets up to go back to her dormitory, as she thinks that she has been here long enough.

'Dora?'

'Yes?'

'Do you want to stay in here to do your homework? I was just thinking that I didn't want to be alone.'

Suddenly it hits Tonks. He actually wants her to stay!

'If you don't want to, you don't have to. I just thought - '

'Yes, do my homework in here. Just let me go and get my books.' Tonks dashes back down to her dormitory, and tries to find her Transfiguration book. Curse me and my habit of messiness! She finally finds it hidden under a pile of robes, and goes back to his office.

'... So did the potion work?'

'Yes, I stayed in the Shrieking Shack all night, just to be sure.' She knocks.

'Good, good. Well, I'm glad to hear it.'

She knocks on the door again. This time they appear to have heard her, and Lupin opens the door.

'Come in, Dora.'

'Oh, hello, Professor Slughorn. How are you?'

'I am good, thank you, Nymphadora. Are you going to be attending the next Slug Club meeting?'

'Depends on when it is.'

'It is on Saturday, at around 7.'

'No, sorry, I can't.'

'It's all right, Remus here was just telling me about your parents. I truly am sorry.' Tonks doesn't want to talk to Slughorn any more, and Lupin sees this.

'Sorry to be rude and kick you out, Horace, but Dora and I have to talk about her next, um, Duelling Club meeting. I will see you later.'

'Sorry to intrude on your conversation. Goodbye.' And with that, he waves and walks out the door.

Immediately after he goes, Lupin turns back to Tonks. 'You really do have to organise a Duelling Club meeting, you know.'

This sends Tonks into a peal of laughter, in which he quickly joins in.

'I know, but I have to meet up with Flitwick first, and he never seems to be free.'

'Actually, Flitwick talked to me yesterday, and asked me if I would take charge of the Duelling Club, as he is very busy. With his Head of House business, I expect.'

'Well then. When could we organise one?'

'I don't know what you want, but I'm thinking Monday or Tuesday night?'

_I know what I want, but you don't know what it is_, she thinks as she replies, 'Monday night would be fine. And should we go down to dinner a bit early?'

He looks at his watch. 'Yes, of course. Are you going to be coming back here to do your homework and plan the meeting?'

'Yes please, if you don't mind.'

So they walk down to dinner. Tonks manages more than she's eaten in the past few days, and she's happy when they serve chocolate pudding for dessert. She glances up at Professor Lupin. He is looking at his pudding eagerly. She laughs gently.

'Tonks! I've been looking for you everywhere! Are you coming to our study group tonight?'

She looks up. Ameila Clearwater is standing there, looking down on her.

'Sorry, Millie, I can't tonight.'

'You're going to have to stop coming up with these excuses, Tonks. If you miss any more, we will be forced to kick you out!'

'Thanks for the heads up. Bye now.' Amelia glares at her, clearly annoyed, and walks off haughtily.

Tonks is secretly thinking that she'd be better off without it.

* * *

*Remus' pov*

'Hello again. Are you ready to go?' He is standing behind her.

'Of course.' She smiles at him, and they walk to his office. She sits down to do her homework, and he sits next to her, marking some essays. He looked over at her work.

'What are you trying to answer?'

'I do know it, but McGonagall set an essay about the differences of some things. I've just forgotten the difference between an Animagus and a werewolf. My mind has just gone blank.'

'Do you need help?'

'I don't particularly want it, but yes.'

'An Animagus can turn into an animal at will, that animal depends on the person. But a werewolf...' He shudders.

'Are you all right, Remus?'

'Yes. Where was I?'

'But a werewolf...'

'Ah, yes. But a werewolf is forced into his form unwillingly every month. They are ripped from their bodies, turned into hideous beasts...It is torture. They can only ever turn into a wolf. They are only dangerous to human beings.'

'Now I understand. McGonagall never seemed to put it that simply.'

'Yes, she never did even when I was here. Luckily I had some insight though.'

'How could you have had some insight?'

'I know a werewolf. He gave me advice.'

'Oh.'

'So how's the essay?'

'Nearly done. Just have to get the conclusion.'

'Once you've finished, I'll read over it to see if it will meet McGonagall's standards.'

'Thanks, that would be great.'

She finishes the essay, and throws down her quill with a yawn. He reaches towards it.

'May I?'

'Be my guest.' She leans back against the chair, and puts her head on his shoulder. He looks through the essay.

It seems to be very good, except for a few spelling mistakes. He taps them with his wand, and they correct themselves. He likes the way that she curls her letters, and makes them nice and pretty.

'All right, Dora, I've finished with it.' He realises just as he is about to stand up that she had fallen asleep against his shoulder. He glances at his watch. 11:00 PM. Curfew was at least an hour ago. He gently shakes her awake.

'Hmm?'

'It's 11 o'clock. Looks like you're staying here.'

'Whatever you say.' She goes back to sleep. He ponders what to do. Eventually he decides to take her to his bed, as it would be more comfortable for her. He removes her shoes, and puts the blankets around her.

He is so tired that when he goes to take off his shoes, that he falls asleep next to her.

She responds to this by waking up slightly, placing the blankets around him, gently putting her head back on his shoulder, and putting her arm around him. Then she falls back asleep.

He absent-mindedly puts his arm around her in his sleep, and moves around a bit to get more comfortable.

They lie like that all through the night, not realising the consequences for tomorrow, not thinking about the fact that the rumours will start to fly.

**Authors Note:**

**Hello. Thank you to everyone that reads!**

**Special thanks to my followers: HowlShield, IceNinja23, Moony and Tonks, PrincessDreamGirl, Sire07, TMM7, Xenon1311, aussiewritergirl27, dally123, gryffindorxoxo and violetb913!**

**Sorry if I waffle on a bit, I really wanted to get close to 2000 words this chapter!**

**Thanks to all those that review, too. I'd love to get a few more to, like things that I can work on, and things that I did well (if there were any!)**

**Sorry if I don't update often.**

**And thanks for the favourites!**


	12. Chapter 12

*Remus' pov*

He wakes up early the next morning, to find a slim arm draped over his chest. He gazes at the arms owner, to find Tonks lying there next to him.

He allowed himself thirty seconds of enjoyment before waking her up.

'Dora, wake up.'

She looks up sleepily, and smiles at him. Then she sits bolt upright.

'Oh no.'

'What is it, Dora?'

'I'm so sorry. I really shouldn't be here.' She clambers out of the bed, and waves her wand. Her shoes fly onto her feet, and she runs from the room.

He might have heard a sob as she slams the door.

* * *

*Tonks' pov*

How could she be so stupid? They had a perfectly good friendship, and now she's gone and ruined it all by falling asleep on his couch!

Wait.

She fell asleep on his couch. Not his bed.

He must have moved her there, once he had finished reading over her essay.

Which she'd left in his office.

Which she'll now have to go and get.

She's trying to come up with an alternative, trying to think of something that would allow her to collect her essay that would also allow her to skip talking to him, when Rolf comes up behind her.

'Hey, Tonks. Professor Lupin asked me to give you this.'

He holds out a scroll. As she unrolls it, she finds out that it's her essay.

How nice of him. Apparently he doesn't want to see her, either.

Which will make Defence this afternoon very awkward.

'Thanks, Rolf.'

'Why did Lupin have your essay, anyway?'

She blushes. 'I was working on it in his office. He was helping me.'

'And I suppose you worked on it all night, and forgot to come back to your dormitory?'

'Um, something like that.' She runs off to breakfast before he can ask her why.

* * *

*Remus' pov*

He had to teach the First years in the morning. Then he got to relax until he had Tonks' class. He goes down to breakfast, and brushes by her on the way in.

'Hello.'

She looks up, turns red and runs off to her dormitory to get her books.

Why does she think that spending the night in her teachers study was a bad thing? It wasn't a problem, at least to him.

Then again, he'd never spent the night in his teachers study.

He actually didn't think that he'd like to. No, he really wouldn't like to.

But their relationship was different to the one that is normally between a teacher and a student. At least, that's what he thought.

Hopefully everything would be all right.

He walks into breakfast and sits down, with his mind attempting to settle on the up-coming class. Instead he keeps thinking of Tonks, and how pretty she looks when she's asleep.

'You look troubled, Remus.'

Professor Sprout sits herself in her seat, beside his.

'Nah, it's nothing.'

'I may not be good at Legilimency, Remus, but I can tell that there's something that's not right.'

He exhales. 'Fine, I'll tell you. One of my seventh years, the one that I am most friends with, she fell asleep on my couch.'

She looks surprised. 'Is that all?'

'No. I didn't want to wake her up, as it was 11, so I put her on my bed and fell asleep beside her.'

'Well, it's nothing to worry about. Honestly, what's all the fuss?'

'I don't have a problem with it, just she thinks that it's going to be really embarrassing for her during Defence today.'

'Oh. Who was it?'

'Why do you need to know?'

'I'm just nosy.'

'It was someone from your house, actually. Miss Tonks.' Just thinking about her makes him happy.

'Well, I didn't even realise that she wasn't in her room!'

'Why does she have her own room, actually? I've been meaning to ask.'

'Oh, the Sorting Hat made a mistake, put too many in Hufflepuff. As a result, Gryffindor has one less than normal. I'm pretty sure that she would have been the one put in Gryffindor if the Hat hadn't made that mistake. And what might she have been doing in your office at 11 anyway?' Her eyes twinkle mischievously.

'She was working on her homework, and I said that I'd look through it. So she gave it to me, and eventually fell asleep.'

'Well, you had an interesting story, but I will probably be late for class if I stay talking, and you don't want to be late to a bunch of Sixth years that are all taller than you. Bye now.'

Remus looks at his watch, and realises that he will be late if he stays here for any longer too. He grabs a bit of toast and walks back to his office to grab his things.

All the while throughout his lesson, his mind wasn't on what the first years were doing, it was on her.

Her laugh, like that of an angel.

Her clumsiness, that she hated it but he found it adorable, if not endearing.

The way that she would reluctantly smile at him, the corners to those lips pulled up gently.

Then his body was washed over with desire, desire to hold her, kiss her. And to have her kiss him back.

Oh, that would be the loveliest moment of his life.

He was too wrapped up in his thoughts of her that he didn't notice a short dark-haired girl walk up to his desk.

'Professor?'

Snapped out of his thoughts, he focused on the girl in front of him. It was Cho Chang. True, she was bright, but sometimes was a bit of a slacker.

'What can I help you with, Cho?'

'I'm a bit confused with this, Professor. Could you explain it?'

He sighed as he pulled her work towards him.

* * *

*Tonks' pov*

As soon as the bell rang for the start of lunch, Tonks packed up her things and was out of the classroom before anyone else had moved.

She ran back to her dormitory, and jumped face-first onto her bed.

She has a spare after lunch, then goes off to Defence.

She decides that she's quite tired, and falls asleep without hesitation.

When she wakes up, she's missed lunch, and only has thirty minutes until Defence. Then she can relax, until she has to go to her parents house.

With him.

She searches for her Defence books, and that takes a good fifteen minutes. So when she finds them in her bag, she starts walking to class. Better to be early than late.

Apparently he had the same thoughts, as she walks into the classroom.

He's standing up the front, unpacking his things for this lesson.

'Hello, Dora.'

She ignores him, and makes her way to the seat farthest from him.

'You can't go ignoring me forever, you know.'

She keeps ignoring him.

'But I suppose you can try.' He turns back to his bag, as the next few students walk in.

Soon the classroom is full of students.

'Right! Hello, class. We will be battling the Boggarts once more this afternoon, then on Monday we will have a test on what we've done so far. I've got enough for 1 Boggart each, as Madam Rosmerta discovered a family of them hidden in her cellar. So come up here and grab one each.'

He casts a charm that makes individual rooms. She runs up the front, grabs a box and disappears into a room.

She sets the box on the floor, and wondering what her Boggart will be now she opens it.

It sees her, and turns into a woman that looks slightly like her mother. Black hair, heavily lidded eyes. This woman turns and faces her properly, and Tonks sees that she has red eyes. It gears up with its wand, trying to get a clear shot.

She backs away from it, nauseated. Then she remembers that it's only a Boggart, so she cries, 'Riddikulus!'

The woman turns into stone. Tonks forces her back into the box, and goes out to give the box back.

She's the first one out. Lupin smiles at her.

'What was your Boggart?'

She decides not to answer him. He sighs.

'I've put some revision questions on the board, please have them done by the end of class today.'

She nods, walks back to her seat, and starts to complete the questions.

By the end of class, she's the only one to have them done.

'For whoever doesn't have the questions finished, kindly complete them by Monday. Remember to revise for the test, and you are dismissed.'

There's a mad scramble for the door. Tonks is collecting her things into a pile on the table, when Charlie brushes by and knocks them off.

'Oops.' He walks off laughing with Rabastan.

So Tonks has to scurry around collecting her books, while everyone else is leaving. Lupin is waiting at the door.

'Kindly accompany me to my office, please.'

She shakes her head wildly. He sighs again.

'That wasn't a question, Nymphadora.'

She grudgingly stomps to his office, and stands silently in his doorway.

He sits on his couch.

'Dora, you can't keep ignoring me. We are going to your parents house tomorrow, you will have to talk to me during that time. Why won't you talk?'

She comes around and sits next to him.

'I thought that I would become a beacon if I did.'

'Well, you look fine to me. Is that the only reason?'

'It's just -' She chooses her words carefully. 'It's not every day that you wake up on your favourite teachers bed, with him looming over you, and you knowing that he must have put you there because you know that you fell asleep on his couch. And you know that you have a friendship unusual of that of a student and a teacher, and you don't want to destroy that friendship.'

'Those are some very valid points you make there. Thank you for naming me as your favourite teacher, I think that you'll be the only one in the school. You are most likely my favourite student, too.'

She smiles. 'Why did you put me on your bed?'

'I thought that it might be more comfortable for you.'

'You're right, it was even more comfortable than my bed.'

'You're welcome any time that you want, you know.'

He seems to just register what he said. 'Uh, forget that I said that.'

'But what if I don't want to forget?' She sits closer, and puts an arm around him.

'That's not an option, Dora.'

He's trying to sound serious, but is failing miserably.

'It is in my world. So is this.' She leans in, closes the gap between them and kisses him.

_Finally,_ she thinks.

He seems surprised when she leans back.

'That is always an option in this world too, Dora.'

'Good to know that I can keep doing it.'

She kisses him again, and this time he kisses her back.

Then someone knocks on his office door.

'Should I not be in here?'

'You could go and hide in my room.' He presses down a book on his shelf, and pushes Tonks through the passageway that has appeared. She runs down it, and comes out in his fireplace.

She can vaguely hear a conversation. It sounds like he's talking with another student. She sits down on his bed to wait for him.

He comes through the passageway about twenty minutes later.

'Sorry, Charlie wanted me to apologise to you.'

'Like I'll accept his apology!'

'I couldn't say that, as a teacher, but that's what I was thinking.'

She stands up and walks over to him, placing her arms around him and her head on his shoulder. He puts his arms around her waist.

They stand there for a while, until she breaks away to look at her watch.

'We've missed dinner. I was hungry!' she says ruefully.

'If you want food, I know where the kitchens are.'

'How in the world do you know that? I've been trying to find that out for 6 years!'

'Do you want to come or not?'

'Yes, please.' She was suddenly all sweetness, and follows him out the door.

He leads her back down to near where her dormitory is, and they end up at a painting of a fruit bowl. She had memorised the way as they went.

'Tickle the pear.'

'Excuse me?'

'Tickle the pear,' he repeated.

She reaches out, gently tickles the pear, and laughs at how simply brilliant it is, the passageway into the kitchens.

They walk in, and are immediately ambushed by what looks like a small army of elves.

'Hello, sir and miss! What can we do for you?'

Thankfully Remus knows how to ask them for food without sounding too rude. So the elves came back within 10 seconds with two bowls of the stew that the school must have had for dinner, and promised them dessert if they wished.

They sat down at a table that Remus conjured up, and ate their dinner in silence. She had a thought.

'Remus?'

'Hmm?'

'Do I wear my Hogwarts robes or my Muggle clothes tomorrow?'

He swallows. 'I would say your Muggle clothes.'

'All right.'

They finish their dinner, and telling the elves goodbye, they back out of the kitchens. He walks her to her commonroom.

'Well, goodnight, Dora.'

'Night, you.'

She gets up on her toes and kisses him on the cheek, then waves and walks off down to her dormitory.

Neither of them noticed a pair of eyes watching them from when they left the kitchen.

She walks to her dormitory, saying goodnight to Rolf on the way. When she's there, she changes into her pyjamas and climbs into her bed.

She liked the fact that he made her stay after her class.

If he hadn't, she never would have found out where the kitchens were.

If he hadn't, she never would have kissed him.

She drifts off into a happy slumber, smiling at the thought of him.

* * *

*Remus' pov*

While he's sitting on his bed, he's thinking about showing Tonks how he feels.

Sure, it was great, but she can't ever be with him seriously.

She deserves better than a werewolf.

When is he going to tell her?

He doesn't know the answer to that, and he doesn't really want to think about the answer to that.

So instead he focuses on everything about her, especially the feel of her lips on his, and falls asleep quite easily.


	13. Chapter 13

*Tonks' pov*

Tonks woke up, confused. That dream had been so vivid, so real. Almost like it actually happened. But she doesn't think that it did. She's still in the Defence classroom.

'Hello, Dora.'

Professor Lupin looks down at her, concerned. She's still sleepy, so she forgets that she's not talking to him.

'What happened?'

'Turns out that we were both tired, and we both fell asleep.'

'Well, I had a really weird dream.'

'As did I, but continue.'

'I dreamed that...' Everything about that dream was so weird.

'You seem stuck, so I'll tell you about my dream.' He looks at her to see if this is OK. She is thinking of what a gentleman he is to do that.

'Tell me.'

He sits down at the desk next to her. 'I dreamed that Charlie knocked your books off your desk, and I asked you to come back to my office. We had a chat about you ignoring me, you started talking to me again and explained why. I said something embarrassing, then you kissed me.'

'That's the same as mine! I remember it all so vividly.'

'There was more. Charlie came by, and asked me to apologise to you. You were hiding in my room. Then we went to the kitchens, had some dinner, and we went off to our respective beds.'

'They were exactly the same, then.' She considers this. 'By the way, do you actually know where the kitchens are?'

'Yes, I do.'

'Is it where they were in the dream?'

'Yes, they are.'

'And are the elves just like that?'

'Yes, they are.'

'Great. I should start putting together a map, of like the secret passageways and stuff!'

'Um, I think that you'll find that your idea has already been taken.'

'Really? By whom?'

He smiles at her. 'By a group of people at Hogwarts, in my year.'

'Wow. Did you know them?'

'Yes, I did.'

'What are they doing now?'

His smile disappears. 'One of them is in Azkaban, one of them is definitely dead, one of them I believe is dead but may not be, and the last one is sitting in this classroom with you.'

'Wait, so you helped make it? No way!'

'Yes way. As it turns out, I have it right here.' He pulls it out of his pocket.

She takes the map from him. It looks like a blank piece of parchment.

'You're not pulling a prank on me, are you?'

'No, I most certainly am not! Let me show you.'

He pulls out his wand, and taps the parchment once. 'I solemnly swear that I am up to no good.'

'Seriously? The Remus Lupin that I know would never set that as a password.'

He laughs. 'Alas, it was James' insistence.'

'James Potter?'

'How did you know?'

'I guessed. The newspaper said that he was 21 when he died, this is 10 years later. You look to be around 30 years old. No offence or anything.'

'It's fine. Look at the map now.'

She looks down, and gasps at what she sees. The whole map has been drawn in, and she can see the very edges filling in as she gazes on.

'Good, isn't it?'

'You helped make this?'

'Yes, I did most of the enchanting.'

She looks over it ecstatically. 'Who would have thought that there were so many passages out of the school? I thought that two was enough!'

'There are seven in total that go to Hogsmeade. Mr Filch knows about four of them, one of them is caved in, and the other two happen to be the ones that are completely secret. From most people, of course.'

'So this is how you found me in that passageway.'

'Yes. I didn't want the passageway to become known by the Honeydukes owners.'

'Why? Do you use it sometimes?' She flashes him a small, mischievous grin.

'No, I'd just like the secrets of Hogwarts to remain the secrets of Hogwarts, not the knowledge of Hogsmeade.'

'Oh. Well, I'd better go off to dinner, wouldn't want to miss food, and have some of that dream transpire. Bye.'

Tonks turns and walks out of the classroom, to the Great Hall, not even remembering that she's left her things in the classroom.

* * *

*Remus' pov*

He looks back down at the map. He can see her going to the Great Hall, and being flanked by Rolf as soon as she gets there. He packs up the map and walks to dinner, putting her things in his room on the way.

Once he's finished, he walks back to his office to find Tonks standing outside it, waiting by the looks of it.

'Hello again! I remembered that I left my stuff in your office, and I'd better get it if I want to get my homework done before I go to bed.'

'Yes, yes, you did. Come in.' He walks in, with her following.

'Hey! Where'd it go?'

'I put it in my bedroom, didn't want anyone to come in and steal it.'

'They were all at dinner anyway.'

He opens the passageway to his office.

'Hey, it's actually there?'

'Yes, all the teachers have one.'

'Cool.' She walks through it. He quickly follows, picks up her books hands them to her then sits down on his bed.

'Hey, shouldn't we actually organise a duelling club meeting? I know you said Monday, but we do need more details so that we can know what's going on, and what to set up.'

'Great idea. As this is only the second year that it's been on, I think that they should go over what they've done already, and maybe teach them something fun, like the Bat Bogey hex.'

'But don't you think that it might be a bit much for the first years to learn that spell?'

'The club is only open to those of 4th year and above, unless you get a special exemption.'

'Well, you already seem to have the lesson planned. What will we need to set up?'

'If they're going over what they've done, who knows what they'll come up with? I reckon that we should cater for everything, and allocate them to their certain areas for that particular spell.'

He can't help but marvel at the great logic of this girl. 'You know, you'd make a great Auror.'

She goes red. 'Well, that's what I'm aiming to do with my life.'

'That's great! Have you put in the form yet?'

'Nah, I think that I'll take a year off and work part-time somewhere, then put in the application. But I might change my mind. Why weren't you an Auror?'

'Me? No, they'd never take me. Not when I'd have to take so much time off sick. They would never even consider the likes of me.'

'But there's nothing wrong with you!' she says indignantly.

He nearly laughs at the irony of it all. 'Oh, I think that they'd beg to differ.'

'Why?'

He smiles hauntingly. 'I daresay that you'll find out one day.'

'I'm not leaving this room until you tell me.' She's getting all worked up like a little girl. He was finding it hilarious, and was working overtime not to laugh.

'You'll be in here for quite a while, then.' She groans, and plonks herself down next to him.

'All right, I won't stay. Unless you want me to?' She smiles playfully at him.

'Personally, I wouldn't mind it, but you should probably go, as it's only 30 minutes until curfew.'

'I don't really mind about curfew anyway.'

'As a teacher, I must ask you to go to your dormitory. I do apologise.'

'Okay. When and where do I meet you tomorrow? I seem to have forgotten.'

'Meet me in the Entrance Hall at noon tomorrow. That all right for you?'

'Yep. You probably want me to go now, not that I want to or anything.'

'Goodbye, Dora.'

She gives him a hug goodbye, and walks down to her dormitory. He falls back onto his bed, and falls asleep promptly.

* * *

**Thanks to all those out there that read and review, I'd love to get a few more.**

**For any of you that are confused, she fell asleep right before Charlie knocked her books off her desk.**

**Now that I'm rambling on to the topic, does everyone like how I've portrayed Charlie?**

**Also, for any of those that watch, or have seen, Buffy the Vampire Slayer (the TV series), I'm thinking of writing one for that category. I absolutely adore the Giles/Jenny pairing, and I found it so unfair that Oz was going to die, but his fan reaction was so big that the death was forced upon her.**

**Just if any of you are interested in reading it, it's not published yet, but I'm working on it. This story has first priority **

**Sorry for taking so long to update. If I ever do take ages, I won't have given up on it, honestly. I'll just be a bit stuck on ideas.**

**And if you don't like how long I take to make it through a couple of days in this one, all I'm doing is writing the ideas that I want to put in before a certain event.**

**If anyone's OOC (other than Charlie), then please mention it!**

**Bye!**


	14. Chapter 14

*Tonks' pov*

She woke up late, so it was 11 o'clock when she finally dragged herself out of bed. Then she started to think that she was hungry, and breakfast would be over. But she does know where the kitchens are...

_No, Tonks, you have to get ready_, she told herself. So she grabs her bag, shoves some random clothes into it, then quickly pulls on the clothes that she'd set out the previous night. She decides on blue hair, that blends nicely with the clothes.

She grabs her bag, walks out of her room, and down to the Entrance Hall.

'Hello, Dora. I didn't expect you for another thirty minutes.'

She whirls around. 'Hey, Professor. And I thought that being early would be quite all right.'

'You weren't at breakfast.'

'If one wakes up at 11, then one can expect to miss breakfast.'

He chuckles. 'Yes, I presume so. But there is still some food on the tables.'

'Really?' She checks, and runs into the Great Hall without another thought. A minute later, she walks back out, nibbling on a bit of toast.

'Well, I'm ready now, Professor!' she says with her mouth full.

'Very well. Come along.' He starts to walk out of the school. She hurries to catch up.

'Why are we going out here?'

'You can't Apparate within the school grounds. Surely you remember that?'

'Um, I may have forgotten.'

'Yes, we just saw that.' He grins at her. She raises an eyebrow, causing him to laugh.

'What is it, Professor?' she says sweetly.

He's having trouble trying to stop laughing. 'You'd better stop calling me Professor now.'

'Why?'

'What would a teacher be doing escorting a single student through the streets of Scotland?'

'I don't know.'

'And most Muggles don't call their teachers Professor.'

'What on Earth would they call them then?'

'Didn't you take Muggle Studies?'

'You expected me to pay attention?'

'It's school, Nymphadora. You have to pay attention.'

'We're not in school grounds at the moment. Therefore it's not school at this current point in time.'

'I know.' He leads her near the Shrieking Shack. 'Now, would you mind telling me where to Apparate to? I've never been to the estate, you see.'

'We had a charm on the house so that you couldn't Apparate anywhere near it. There is a spot in a Muggle village that's safe to go to, that's the only place that I've ever gone to.'

'Very well, we shall go there.' They both turn, and are sucked into the suffocating nothingness.

When they emerge from that nothingness Tonks stumbles, and trips over. A pair of hands catch her, and set her back to her feet.

'Thanks. I always do that. The Examiner even put it on my results.'

'It's fine, so long as you're never hurting yourself.'

'I don't get hurt easily.'

They walk out of the alleyway and onto the bustling street.

'This way.' They take a few turns, and are soon standing at a small road. Tonks frowns. 'We should be able to see it from here.'

They keep walking, and soon they're at the foundations of where it should be. Tonks gasps.

There's nothing there but ashes.

* * *

Tonks walks over to a lonely sign at the edge of the block, and sits down near it. She reads it.

_This sign cannot be seen by Muggles._

_The Ministry for Magic has taken over this land, to find out what happened. We are sorry for any inconvenience._

Lupin sits down beside her and reads it.

'That's silly. Why should they take over it? They already know that Bellatrix burned it down, maybe even trapped your parents inside it.' Tonks buries her face in her knees.

'That was a very stupid thing to say. I'm sorry.'

She lifts her head. There's a stain on her jeans where her head was before. 'The sad part is that it may be true. They might have burned, or Bellatrix might have destroyed them first, or anything. But we'll never know. Everything, all the evidence, has all been burned right down to nothing.' She stands. 'Can we stay here for a bit?'

'Of course.' He gets up too, and puts an arm around her. They stand there like that until the sun starts going down. She sighs.

'We should probably head back to the castle,' she says.

'Excuse me? I had no intention of going back to Hogwarts today. I still don't. I've had enough of that castle for a while, a change would go nicely.'

'So where will we stay?'

'There's a Muggle village nearby, isn't there?'

'Yes.'

'Then your question is answered.' He starts walking towards it. She runs to catch up.

'So we're just going to stay in the village? With no warning or anything?'

'Yes. There will be some good restaurants there, do you know of any?'

She realises just how hungry she is. 'Yeah, there's a nice Italian one just inside the first bend.'

'Then we'll go there, eat some food, then find a hotel. Any objections?'

'No, but I don't want you to pay for all this. I should have to help.'

He turns to face her. 'No, you shouldn't have to. You have just lost your family home, the block itself is in no state to sell, and all of your parent's money was given to various charities. And you're not likely to have any Muggle money with you here.'

'You're right, I don't. Sorry.'

'It's fine.' They walk the rest of the way silently.

'So where is it?'

She turns down a small side street. 'Just in here. Not many people go down here, thinking that all the good shops would be in the main street. But I discovered it one time, and my parents used to take me here on special occasions, like when I got my OWL results. They promised to take me here when I got my NEWTS. I somehow don't think that will happen now.' She looks down.

'No. I don't think it will either. But I'd be happy to take you here if you wanted.' She looks up, her eyes sparkling.

'Really?'

'If you wanted to. But that is quite far away.' They reach the door, and she goes in without a second glance. He follows, with slightly less enthusiasm.

The place is nice, very quiet, just how she remembered it. She runs over to her favourite table, and waves him over. He sits down.

'Well, what can I do for you today?'

A waiter had popped up out of nowhere. She has to tell herself that this isn't a wizarding settlement, or she would have sworn he had Apparated.

'We're fine for the moment, thanks.' He nods and glides away. Tonks looks at Remus.

'Well, what are you having?'

'What, you've already decided?'

'I always have the same thing here.' She points it out on the menu. 'Look, the Margherita pizza. It's amazing.'

'I might just try it then.' He calls back the waiter. 'We'll have a Margherita pizza, thanks.'

'Any drinks, sir?'

'Just water.' He looks at Tonks. 'Correct?'

'Yep.'

'I'll be back soon with your food.' He glides away. She looks back at Remus.

'Why do you always look to me to see if something's okay?'

'Because -' He looks away.

'Why?' she presses.

'Because I don't want to disappoint you.'

'And what in the world makes you think that you would ever disappoint me?'

'There's a lot about me that you don't know.'

'Try me.'

'No. There's some things that I couldn't even tell the best of my friends back when I was at Hogwarts, and I can't tell you either.'

'Did they find out eventually?' Tonks was intrigued. She wanted to find out this dark secret of his.

'Of course they did. If one of us ever had a secret, then the others would not rest until they found out what it is.'

'That sounds great. No-one would ever do that for me. Mostly because I don't have a group like that. I used to have Charlie, but, well, you know what he did.'

'Yes.'

'Was this the same group that you made that Map with?'

'Yes, it was.'

'You seemed to have a lovely group of friends.'

'They were the best friends that I could possibly imagine having. They made me feel like I belonged somewhere. That was certainly not the case at home.'

The waiter comes back with a steaming pizza, and it's gone within the next 10 minutes. They both, clearly, were hungry.

'You were right, Dora.'

'When am I not?'

He laughs. 'The pizza was amazing.' He pays and they walk out. 'Now, a hotel.' They walk on to the main street. Right across from them was a nice-looking place, and it's the only one that they can see, so they walk in. There is only one room left, so they take it, and walk up the stairs, not trusting the lifts.

She runs in, and immediately spots a problem. He walks in after, and immediately voices it.

'I asked for two beds. Why is there only one?'

'I don't know. Maybe they were out of rooms?'

'I'll just have to sleep on the floor then.'

'No, it's either we both sleep on the bed, or both on the floor. Personally I'd rather the bed, it would be more comfortable. But I'll let you figure that out.' She walks towards the bathroom. He follows.

'What are you doing?'

'I was going to take a shower. At least, I would if you weren't here.' His response is to back out, closing the door carefully.

Once she's done, she comes back out and sits on the bed with her legs crossed.

'So, what conclusion did you come to?'

'I figured that the bed would be more comfortable.'

'You were right, then.'

He smiles. 'When am I not?'

She starts to laugh, and he quickly joins her.

'I don't know why I'm still laughing. I shouldn't be able to laugh. Not after what she did.'

'Can you still morph your hair?'

She concentrates, and her hair turns into a chocolate brown, like his. 'Yes.'

'Maybe it's just that you're not too sad.'

She shrugs. 'I think it's that I didn't know what I'd do with the house. I would have sold it anyway. This way, I just didn't get the money for it.'

'The Ministry should pay you off.'

'Since when has the Ministry done anything right?'

He smiles at her. 'I'm going to shower. You should get some sleep.'

'I'll try,' she promised. She lays back, and pulls the covers up over her. She is nearly asleep when he comes back out, and goes to put a blanket on the floor for himself.

'No, you said that we'd both sleep on the bed.'

'Fine.' He gets up and lies down next to her.

'You know, this will be the second time we've done this,' he tells her.

'Oh yeah! We really have to get better sleeping arrangements. Wonder what Dumbledore would say?'

'For some odd reason, I think we'd have to worry more about McGonagall than Dumbledore. But Sprout thought that it was fine.'

'Yeah, that makes sense. Wait, you told her?'

'Yeah, the morning after. She said that I looked troubled, and I told her why.'

'Oh, okay.' She turns away from him, and tries again to fall asleep.

But it's so hard, when he's lying so close.

'Dora?'

'Hmm?'

'You really did look quite lovely today.'

'Thank you.' He paid her a compliment. Surely that means that he likes her. Or maybe it's just wishful thinking on her part. She turns around, to find him staring at the back of her shirt. It was one of her more transparent ones, so he could see more than just the shirt.

'Why were you staring?'

'I was thinking of - Don't worry. I'm sorry.'

'Do you think that I care?' She moves closer to him, and wraps her arms around him. He stiffens, then relaxes when she closes her eyes.

'Talking about sleeping arrangements, I presume you thought that this one was better?'

'Yep. Goodnight.' And with that, she falls silent.

'Goodnight.' He, too, closes his eyes.

She finds that sleep comes easily that night.

* * *

**Gosh guys! I am so sorry for not updating sooner! Hopefully this chapter meets your standards.**

**Thanks to those that review, all two of you. You two are great.**

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	15. Chapter 15

*Remus' pov*

As soon as he was certain that she was asleep, he slid out from her grasp and onto the floor, placing a pillow where he was, careful not to make any noise. He grabs a blanket, sits down near the window and sighs. This will be a long night.

He can't sleep that close to a student. Not even a Seventh year. Not again. She's barely of age. He's 29, going on 30 in March. Twelve, soon thirteen years. Far too old. Far too poor. And far too dangerous. How could he ever live with himself if he harmed her?

Besides, if they get too close, even as friends, she's bound to get suspicious. She's very bright, probably the brightest witch of her age that he knows of.

He drifts off into an uneasy sleep by the window.

* * *

Something pokes him in the face.

'Ouch!' He looks up. There, standing over him, is Tonks. 'Good morning.'

'Hello yourself.' She looks a bit annoyed.

'Are you annoyed at something, Dora?'

'You said that you'd stay the whole night.'

'Just to let you know, I spent the whole night in this hotel room.'

'You know what I meant!'

'I do. But I couldn't bring myself to.'

'Why not?'

He immediately flares up. 'I should never have agreed in the first place! I just should have taken you back to the castle. I should have gotten a room with two beds. There's too many things that I should have done, but I didn't, and are now resulting in this argument!'

Her hair turns red with anger. 'Who cares? You can't go back, you can't change it -'

'I know that I can't, but if I could, I most definitely would. You're just over-reacting!'

'What do I have to do, apologise for my own emotions? Somehow learn to forget them? That's not possible.'

He pulls out his wand. 'I know the theory for a Memory charm, you know.'

'Put that wand away, now!'

He obliges. 'And also, I know the theory as well. I could perform it just as well.'

He's getting frustrated. This girl will not give up. 'I can't, Nymphadora. I'm too old -'

'You're not that much older than me. And don't _Nymphadora_ me now!'

'Twelve, going on thirteen years separate us. And it's not just age. I'm too poor -'

'This is the nicest hotel that I know of, that pizza place was a pretty expensive place.'

'Well, I'm not that bad off money-wise in Dumbledore's employ, but I can't stay long. Only a year. And I find it quite hard to keep a job, due to my... condition. I'm too dangerous, for anyone.'

'No, you're not. The Remus Lupin that I know would never hurt a fly.'

'That's not the way that the rest of the wizarding world see me. When they know of my condition, they can hardly bear to be in the same room as me, let alone talk to me!'

'Are you going to tell me this mystery 'condition' of yours?'

'I don't want you to know. I don't want you to be like them.'

'I don't care what it is, I won't care for you any less!'

He checks his watch. 'You know, I think it's about time that we went back to the castle.'

'Yeah, only to get away from the conversation. But fine, although we can't go in our pyjamas.' She grabs some clothes, and stalks off into the bathroom.

He quickly changes and shoves his things in his bag, then makes the bed. As he's doing it, he's trying to get his brain to come up with a way to tell her about his affliction. But he can't, not without making himself seem weak. So it'll have to wait.

She comes out of the bathroom, and shoves all her possessions into her bag. Her hair is still red.

'Didn't want to change the colour of your hair?'

She glares at him, and turns it back to the shade of blue that it was yesterday. He grabs his bag, and walks out the door. She's standing absent-mindedly in the middle of the room. 'Are you coming, or not?'

She walks over to him and holds out the key. He takes it, brushing her hand as he does. She gives an involuntary shiver. 'Do you want to visit your parent's estate while we're still here?'

She shakes her head wildly. 'I'll take that as a no, then. Just to point out, you can't stay silent forever. What if I ask you a question in class?'

She ignores him, and starts walking down the stairs.

'I guess you'll do that, then.' He sighs and starts to follow her footsteps.

* * *

*Tonks' pov*

She stumbles out of the darkness, again, only to be caught by him, again. Why? What makes him compelled to catch her, every time? They walk in silence to Hogwarts. Just outside the oak doors, she turns to him and says 'Thanks.'.

'It's quite all right, Dora.' She waves, and walks down to the commonroom to find Rolf. He sneaks up behind her, and pulls her into a hug. She laughs, and steps back.

'Hey, Rolf.'

'Where were you? You just disappeared for the night, without any notice!'

'You know about my parents, right?' He nods. 'Well, Professor Lupin took me to their house, then we stayed the night in the village nearby. And I just came back.'

'Why wouldn't you just stay at their house? I mean, it would save money.'

'We were planning to, and we would have, if there was a house there to stay in.'

'You mean -'

'Yep. Lestrange burned it down.'

'Wait, Rabastan did?'

Tonks hadn't even thought of that. 'Nah, it would have been his mother or aunt or something.'

'He does have an older brother and an older half-sister, if that helps.'

'How old?'

'I don't know. Pretty old, I think. They're about 20 years older than him, he's always complaining about what bullies they are.'

'Well this is interesting. But their family must have something against mine. Rabastan already cursed me, and now Bellatrix did what she did. Looks like I'll just have to sit tight until the other brother does something.'

She's trying to make a funny situation out of this, but she's failing miserably. He can see this, and he checks his watch. 'Hey, how about we go down to Hogsmeade? It's not too late.'

'Yeah, it's not like I have a massive pile of homework that keeps getting bigger every day. Let's go.' They walk down to the Great Hall, and join the group going down to Hogsmeade.

'Now, this had better not end like when I went with Charlie.'

He grins. 'Nah, it won't. Besides, it's just two friends going down to the local village. It's not a date or anything.'

'Good. I'm sick of chasing after people.'

'Might that mean a certain Professor?'

She looks at him, horrified. 'What? How could you tell?'

'Oh, it was obvious. Well, to me, I guess. Mostly because I know you that well. Remember last year?'

'Don't remind me.'

They walk into Hogsmeade, and turn a corner.

'How about we go to Honeydukes?'

'All right.' Most of the crowd has gone down to the Three Broomsticks, so the sweetshop isn't too packed.

'Hey, Rolf, remember that time we snuck Cockroach Cluster into Snape's food?'

'Oh, yeah, he ate it without hesitation.'

'All the other teachers recognised it, though.'

'And we didn't even get punished.'

'Later when we went down to Hagrid's he congratulated us.'

This sparked up a whole load of funny memories that they'd had, so when they went up to the castle, their pockets filled with sweets, it was already beginning to get dark. They were still laughing hysterically all throughout dinner, so they attracted some weird looks. They went back to the commonroom to finish an essay for Slughorn, and after a while, he threw his quill down, and sat back in his chair.

'Done already?'

'Nah, just can't be bothered. And I really don't get it.'

'I know the feeling. But it has to be done by Wednesday, so best we do it now.'

'Do you get this bit on Moonstones?'

'Yeah, just write this...'

They stayed up until 11 doing their essay, until they realised the time.

'Well, I'd say that's enough for one night. Night, Tonks.'

'Night.' She gives him a hug, and trudges off to her dormitory. She puts her stuff down, pulls on her pyjamas, and flops down into bed. She falls asleep pretty quickly.

* * *

**Authors Note:**

**Again, thanks to my only two reviews!**

**I know you'll be sick of me saying this, but I really do want some more of you to say your opinions! And if you're writing one, I'd love to read some of yours!**

**Got to go, I'll try to update soon. Bye!**


	16. Chapter 16

*Remus' pov*

The next few weeks seemed to go by quite quickly. As it drew ever closer to Hallowe'en, and the weather got snowy, and more importantly now that he'd gotten rid of whatever him and Tonks had, he could concentrate more on the effort required to be a teacher, and juggling his transformations on top of that.

At least, that's what he told himself.

In reality, he thought about her even more.

Just everything about her made him elated. He knows that he can only restrict himself to thoughts, these fantasies must never happen.

She seemed to be spending a lot more time than usual around that Hufflepuff boy, Rolf. He can tell that she's happy around him, he can tell that Rolf is delighted to have her presence. He's always there, just lurking, always in the background.

He tells himself that this way is better, it could never work. But he just wants to be happy.

So that Saturday, the day of his transformation, he walks down to Hagrids, braving the heavy snowfall.

He knocks on the door of the hut.

'Back, Fang.'

He smiles despite himself. Hagrid's face appears in a crack between the door and the wall.

'Hey Remus. Haven't seen you in a while!'

'When you're away from the castle for a few years, then you come back as a teacher, it is quite difficult to find time. Sorry about that one.'

'You think I'd care?'

He laughs, and Hagrid finally manages to hold Fang back for long enough for Remus to slip inside. He shuts the door behind him. As soon as he does, Fang comes bounding towards him, slobber and all, and jumps on top of him.

'He's never this mad to get to someone. Want a cuppa tea?'

'Yes, thanks. Maybe it's because I'm part dog?'

'I dunno, don't worry meself 'bout it.'

Hagrid sits down in his monster of a chair. 'Sit down, yer going to fall over there.'

He smiles, and takes a seat. Hagrid pushes a bucket of tea towards him, and puts a plate of his famous rock cakes on the table.

'Now, I got a bone ter pick with you.'

He's a bit taken aback. 'What is it?'

'Tonks. She's in a right state, bin comin' down here quite a bit recently. Cryin, sometimes. Course, she told me what 'bout, an' I'm not impressed by the way you treated her.'

'She had it coming, it couldn't have worked anyway.'

'But she believed it could, and tha's all you need.'

'I don't want an argument with you, Hagrid. But I also don't want to put her in danger.'

'So you don't want wha' she does?'

'I never said that.' Because, if he wants to be absolutely honest with himself, he could think of nothing better than spending his future with Tonks.

'An' I know that, but she believed tha' you do, an' tha's all her vivid imagination needs.'

'Look, Hagrid, I really don't need an argument with you right now. So I think I'll just say goodbye now.'

As he stands up, Hagrid catches him by the arm.

'Promise me you'll talk to her, Remus.'

'Fine. I promise you I'll talk to her, and I'll try to set things right. Goodbye.'

He leaves Hagrid standing there, and shuts the door quietly behind him.

On his way back up to the castle, he sees a student, sitting all alone surrounded by snow, with her head down.

He's nearly at the castle when he realises that it's Tonks.

He wants to go and talk to her, but she'll probably not answer.

Well, he did promise Hagrid.

He takes a deep breath, and walks back over to her.

She doesn't look as happy as she usually does. Her hair doesn't look the same, it's short and a mousy brown colour. She looks up at him, and he sees that her eyes are red, like she's been crying. She looks back down.

'Hello, Dora.'

'Hello.'

'I think we need to talk. Would you be obliged to come up to my office?'

'No, I don't think we need to talk at all. And I'm happy here.'

'Really? You don't look to happy.'

'Well, I'm not, but I'll be fine out here.' She shivers.

'About how long were you out here?'

'Oh, all day.'

He takes her hand. 'You're freezing! Please, at least come inside.'

'No! Just leave me alone, okay? I'll come to you when I'm ready to talk.'

'I don't want to leave you out here, not when it's this cold.'

'Just go away, all right?' She puts her head in her hands.

'I -'

'Please.' She seems so earnest that he can't help but slowly back away, to go up to his office.

He makes a slight detour on the way, going down to her dormitory and slipping the map under her door.

* * *

*Charlie's pov*

He can see her. Looking out the window of his dormitory, she's just sitting there, near Hagrid's hut.

He feels really awful, for what he did to her. He's never tormented her like this, never done this to anyone.

He really thinks that he should go and talk to her, but looking at Professor Lupin's failed attempt, he decides not to.

He makes himself a resolution to apologise to her within the next week.

But that still doesn't get rid of that feeling of extreme guiltiness, deep in the pit of his stomach.

* * *

*Tonks' pov*

She sits out there as it starts to get dark. She doesn't want to go to dinner, not really hungry. She's really very bored, just sitting around, not wanting to move. But she also has this crazed energy, one that's telling her to get up right now.

She notices a silhouette coming from the castle, and moving slowly towards the Whomping Willow, all the while staring at where the moon will rise soon enough.

The shadowy figure notices her watching, and beckons her over. She does, not having a reason against it.

Only when she gets closer, she realises that it's Professor Lupin. She starts dragging her feet.

'What is it?'

'Dora, this has to be quick.' He casts another furtive glance at the space that should occupy the moon soon.

'Continue then.'

'I need you to go straight up to the castle, don't even think about staying out on the grounds.'

'What's this all about?' She thinks he's joking, until she sees the deadly serious expression on his face.

'Just do it, Dora. You can't stay out here tonight.'

'But why?'

He gazes back at that spot again. 'I really need to go soon. Just do it for me, okay?' He turns and starts to leave.

She takes a deep breath, and puts her hands on his shoulders. 'Look, I know you've got this big, dark secret. You've been dancing it around me for as long as I've known you. Now you're sneaking off at nightfall. I want to know what's going on!'

'Please -' The moon has risen fully now, behind a cloud. 'Just go to the castle, all right!'

'Why?'

He turns her around, and pushes her towards the castle. 'JUST GO!'

She does. She can see him running towards the Willow, tapping a knot-hole near the bottom, and disappearing into the roots.

She slows, and turns around, going cautiously towards the tree. It's frozen, right where it would have been when he went into the passageway. She starts heading towards it.

She stops dead when she hears the howl.

It sounded like a werewolf in transformation. She's never heard one, but she can imagine it. It sounds sorrowful, full of pain.

She stumbles back, and starts running towards the castle. Once she's at the doors, she takes a look at the moon. Yes, it's a full moon. There's a werewolf down there. All the more reason to get to the castle.

She stumbles through the doorway of her room, tripping on something on the floor. Something that she actually didn't leave there, for once. She picks it up.

It's that map, that amazing thing that he showed her.

Him. Remus Lupin.

Trapped.

In the passageway underneath the tree.

With a _werewolf._

That will most likely kill him.

She has to keep her head. She picks up the map, taps it with her wand and says, 'I solemnly swear that I am up to no good'.

She frantically searches the thing for the passage to the Shrieking Shack, holding her breath. Once she finds it, she sits there, puzzled.

There's no-one at the end of it but Remus.

Surely he couldn't have made that howl.

Unless... He seemed so frantic to get her out of there earlier. It is the full moon tonight. He does have this massive secret.

But that's absurd! He can't be a werewolf!

What if there was one down there, and he was trying to get rid of it? And Dumbledore had sent him, the Defence teacher, to get rid of it?

Yes, that should be it. Much better than her thinking of the alternative.

But she still can't shake the idea from her head.

She can't sleep for the whole night.

She stays up worrying about what might happen to him.

* * *

**Authors note:**

**Yay! All my begging finally paid off, got 5 reviews! I think that's the most I've ever gotten for a chapter!**

**So thanks to:**

**PrincessDreamGirl (thanks for sticking with this story!), Guest 1 and Guest 2, Sparkle Shine and liopt123 for all reviewing!**

**Bye.**


	17. Chapter 17

*Remus' pov*

Pain. Blinding pain, lanced through his whole body, down to the marrow in his bones. He can feel himself becoming that horrible creature, that very nearly harmed so many people when he was in his youth. He's clawing at himself, trying to keep the wolf in. But it's not working, and soon he can feel the hot stickiness of his blood on his body as his fingers turn into claws.

But he has to keep his head.

He knows the potion works, knows that it will keep him from harming anyone else. Mostly, keep him from harming Tonks.

His beautiful Tonks.

Now that he's got something to focus on, it seems a whole lot easier to keep his mind calm, keep the wolf hidden under the blanket of potion.

He curls up on the floor, whining sadly. She has probably guessed about him already.

Merlin, it was a really bad idea giving her that map! She can see that he's the only one here.

He can only hope that she didn't hear the howl.

If she did, that would be such a bad thing for him.

But she's different. She may not think about this as horrible.

As he lays there, scratches all over his body, he can only hope.

* * *

*Tonks' pov*

As soon as the night was over, the first thing she did was look out the window, to try to see him. Not that she could. The interesting thing was that Madam Pomfrey was walking down towards the Willow, a bundle in hand, looking around haughtily as she did.

She kept watching.

The healer tapped the knot-hole, and disappeared from view. Tonks was holding her breath. Some 10 minutes later, she came out with Lupin. Tonks gazed down at him. Something was wrong.

He's leaning on her for support, his face looks awfully pale. Tonks almost goes bursting out of the dormitory to go and help, but realises that she's not meant to know. Most people will be sleeping in anyway.

As they pass her window, he looks vaguely down at where she is. He gives her a small smile, and makes a point of dropping some paper right in front of the window.

That's all he can do before he's whisked off to the Hospital Wing.

Tonks waits for quite a while before she eases the window open, and Summons the note. It reads:

_Dora,_

_Please forgive me for making you go back to the castle. It would have been far, far too dangerous for you to stay out there. I can't explain why yet, but I promise that one day you will know._

_Do not come to visit me in the Hospital Wing, I'll be staying there all night._

_I know that once I've said that, you will want to come, as that's what everyone does._

_So really I'm not telling you to stay away, I'm advising you not to come, but if you do, then come after curfew._

_If I know you at all, then I know you'll come, against the odds._

_If you do, kindly bring the map._

_But don't expect to find out anything._

_Remus._

She sits for a while, wondering what to do, and decides to go up to breakfast, and plan her day from there on.

As she's eating breakfast, she looks up at the staff table to see Madam Pomfrey speaking to Professor Dumbledore. Usually this would not shock her, but after the morning's walk, she can only expect the worst. Professor Dumbledore looks right at her, his eyes full of secrets. This made her look down hastily into her porridge.

After breakfast she wanders into the library, and realises that she has an essay about Snargaluff pods due in tomorrow, and she hasn't even started. So she dashes back to her dormitory to grab her copy of _Flesh-Eating Trees of the World _and some parchment, then settles down in the back of the library to attempt to do something about it.

She's so engrossed in her work that she doesn't realise a certain person walk up to her. Said person had flaming red hair, and was the captain and seeker of the Gryffindor quidditch team.

'Hello.'

She jumps, then regains her composure and looks up at him. 'What do you want?'

'I want to set things straight between us. We've been friends for 6 years, it'd be such a shame if we stopped. My mother would certainly be disappointed in me.'

Why are you the one telling me that it'd be a shame if we fell out, when you were the cause?'

The hurt in his eyes is apparent. 'I don't know, I just really want to be right with you.'

'I know you do. But I don't know, Charlie. How can we ever be the same?'

'Do you not like me anymore?'

'It's complicated. It's not that I don't like you, it's that I don't know if I can trust you.'

'I understand. But I really can't go on like this. The guilt, it's nearly killing me, every day. I have to drag myself out of bed, my grades have gone down and everything. I just need to know that we don't hate each other.'

He's changed. There's none of that feral beast she saw earlier this year.

'If we're going to become friends again, there's something I need you to do.'

'Anything.'

'It won't be easy.'

'I don't care.'

'I need you to write to your mother. I need you to tell her everything about what's happened this year, what you did and why you did it. She needs to know, Charlie.'

'I know. I've been meaning to, but every time I set myself up at my desk with the parchment in front of me, I just don't know what to write. I just don't know how to write it, spill my emotions down onto that piece of parchment.'

'It is hard. But it's not as hard as what I have to go through. Sometimes I still go to write letters to them. Sometimes I post them, and they just get returned to me. How, I don't know. But it's horrible, much worse than you think. I can never talk to them, never see them smile, or have them talk to me. It's the little things, like getting the monthly letters, the study help from Mum, the jokes from Dad. I can never go back. You can. You still have family.'

'I know. I should be writing that letter, and getting a Howler back, rather than be standing here crying in front of ones of the most important parts of my life.'

She gazes up at him with a new respect. Sure enough, there were tears running down his face, much like the ones that she'd been meaning to wipe away since this started. 'Why don't you start writing then?'

'Well, I don't have anything to write with.'

'Yes you do.' She shoves a quill into his hand, and places some parchment in front of him. 'There. I've got to finish this essay now, so try to be finished by the time I'm done.'

'You're giving me a time limit?'

'Yep. You can't complain.'

'You're right.'

And ever so slowly, words began to blossom from both quills, onto both bits of parchment.

After a while she finished, and decided to just wait, wait for him to finish. Then all she had to do was wait until dinner, then wait for everyone to leave the commonroom, then wait for Madam Pomfrey to go to bed, then see Professor Lupin.

An awful amount of waiting. Waiting seems to be all she ever does, now.

She watches as Charlie's hand moves freely over the page, smudging some of the ink, and watches as the tears run freely down his face.

She hopes he'll let her read it.

She wants to see how he writes himself.

* * *

**Authors note:**

**I know it ends on a weird bit to end, but I wanted to get this up tonight.**

**Thanks to MickyTheLittleVampire for putting this story on their Favourites list!**

**And goodbye to the reviews of Sparkle Shine, a faithful reviewer, who has read this story and kept me thinking that it's a bad idea to stop writing.**

**Bye, and I'll try to be quicker with the updates!**


	18. Chapter 18

*Tonks' pov*

'Done.'

That word, it symbolises so much. It means that Molly will finally know the truth, means that they can become friends again.

'Would you like to read it, Tonks?'

'As a matter of fact, I would.'

He pushes it silently towards her, then buries his face in his hands.

She starts reading.

* * *

_Dear Mum,_

_I'm writing to you because of something that happened earlier this term, something that I orchestrated. I didn't have the courage to before, until Tonks asked me to._

_Earlier this year, I asked Tonks out on a date with me. I know you told me not to, as you'd talked to her recently, but I just had to. We went to Hogsmeade, it was silent, so to fill up the time I had a few Butterbeers. Usually they're harmless, but if you had 4 like I did, then your control over your body is slightly diminished._

_Once I'd had these and they'd started to take effect, I pulled her out of the Three Broomsticks and up to the Shrieking Shack. I told her to try and break in, she started walking away, and I grabbed her and kissed her._

_I could tell she didn't want to, and that was confirmed when she slapped me. I deserved it fully. We were arguing, she said that this is why I could never be in a steady relationship. She was perfectly right, it's true. I always go and do something really, really stupid._

_But I didn't realise it then, so I was made very angry at that statement. Then I punched her. Hard. I kicked her, too. Then I was taken into McGonagall's office, I'd never seen her so angry. I regret it fully, I'll never forgive myself. McGonagall took my privileges from being the Quidditch Captain away, she __gave me detentions until Christmas, _and all throughout every one of them, I'm beating myself up on the inside.

_But that's not even the worst thing that I did._

_At the start of term, we were doing Duelling in class. Every time before that date I had paired with Tonks to duel, every time, she found a completely different way to beat me. Once she even turned me into a tortoise. But after the date, we had Professor Slughorn as Professor Lupin was ill, and he set up a competition. Tonks duelled Slughorn first, needless to say she beat him. The two of us were in the final duel, we duelled, and she won. Again._

_Now I realise that it was a bad idea. But then, she'd got me again, on a bad day, so I asked a Slytherin boy to curse her. He did, as he hated her for turning away from her pureblood roots. I didn't know what curse he was going to use, I didn't think he'd put her in the Hospital Wing. But it did. To this day I still don't know what curse it was._

_I was never found out for that, but as soon as I've sent this, I will turn myself in to Professor Dumbledore, and see what he makes of this._

_Some time later, we were studying Boggarts. It was my turn to face it. I let it out of the box, and it turned into a perfect replica of myself, telling you, Tonks and Dumbledore about that curse. Tonks didn't know this was my boggart until she read this letter before I sent it. I wouldn't tell her what it was. It scared me that much._

_But I told her, that day, and now I'm going to face the rest of that fear, Mum. I've told you now, and I'm going to tell Professor Dumbledore tomorrow._

_Whatever you send in return, whether it be a Howler, a letter, or even if you come into the school yourself, I have to let Tonks know what you say. She deserves to know._

_I'm not sure whether I should come home for Christmas this year. If you'll allow me to, then I'll ask Tonks to come with me._

_Do you know what happened to her parents, and their house? If not, then I'll let Tonks write to you about that._

_I don't know what you plan to do, but I just want you to know that I swear that I'll never do this again._

_Love,_

_Charlie._

* * *

'Charlie, I'm sorry.'

He looks up at her. 'Why should you be the sorry one? I'm the one that did all these things to you!'

'I know, but I didn't realise it'd be that hard to write the letter.'

'Well, it's done now. Coming with me to send it?'

'Of course.'

They walk up to the Owlery in silence. He attaches the letter to his owl, and watches it fly off, towards the Burrow.

'Tonks?'

'Yeah?'

'So will you come to my house this Christmas?'

She ponders this. She can't really go home, seeing as there's no home to go to. But she wants to stay. She wants to be alone for a couple of weeks, without worries. Not that she'd be worried at the Weasleys, but...

'I understand if you don't want to come.'

'I do want to, but I should probably stay here.'

'Why?'

'I don't know, really.'

He smiles at her. 'It's fine. I wouldn't particularly want to stay at my house yet either.'

'Thanks for understanding.'

'No problem.'

'Well, I've got to go now. Thank you, Charlie.'

'And thank you more, Tonks.'

She turns and walks down, away from the Owlery, towards her commonroom.

As soon as she walks in, Rolf walks right in front of her. She only just stops in time to refrain from walking into him.

'Hey, Rolf.'

He turns around, and his face lights up. 'Hey! Sorry, didn't see you there.'

'I didn't see you there either.'

'I was just wondering, do you want to come to my place for Christmas? Mum just wrote to see if I wanted to have any friends over, and, well, you're the only person I would consider a good enough friend to have over, so I just thought I'd ask...'

'Thanks for the offer, but I don't think I should.'

'You sure?'

'Yes, sorry.'

'It's fine.' He looks at her quizzically. 'Has someone else asked you to stay at their place?'

'Yes, but I didn't accept either.'

'So you're staying here.'

'Most likely.'

'Is this because of some personal reason, or is this because you're drooling over a certain Professor?'

She thwacks him on the arm. 'Rolf!'

He smirks. 'Well, it's true.'

'It most certainly is not!'

He continues smirking at her, so she sighs and goes to lie down over one of the couches in the mercifully empty commonroom. 'Is it that obvious?'

He comes and joins her on the couch, moving her legs on top of him so that he can sit. 'Only to me. Charlie probably has figured it out, can't really ask him though. Professor Lupin ought to know, by the way you look at him.'

She flops her head back, groaning. 'And there goes me thinking no-one had noticed. You'd better not tell anyone, though.'

He gives her a lazy grin. 'I'm serious, Rolf. Don't blab.'

'All right, all right! But just tell me one thing.'

'Depends on what it is.'

'Does he know?'

'Who?'

'Come on, you know who.'

'What, Voldemort? He's dead!'

Rolf had winced at the sound of the name. 'Don't say that. I meant Professor Lupin!'

She glares at him. 'You so don't need to know that.'

'Oh, come on. I know you, Tonks. If you like someone, you don't hesitate to let them know. That's how we met, remember?'

'Yeah, I do remember. It was on the train, right?'

'Yes, it was, but don't change the subject. Does he know?'

'You realise, I could just go up to my dormitory, and you'd never get me out.'

'You know very well that Dumbledore didn't put that charm on your room, you know, _Glisseo. _It wouldn't be too hard to get to your dormitory. You'd get hungry, and as food is the first of the 5 Primary Exceptions to Gamp's Law of Elemental Transfiguration, you can't get it in your room.'

She looks at him. 'I didn't even realise you were familiar with Gamp's Laws. I didn't even know you'd heard of them.'

'Contrary to popular belief, I do pay attention in class. Sometimes. But stop avoiding the question!'

'Fine! You win. Yes, he does know. But he refuses to acknowledge it.'

'He's a genius, then.'

She smiles. 'Yeah, he is.'

He scrambles off the couch. 'No, no, no! I'm not talking about your _special crush _with you!'

'Then go away.'

'Fine.' He stalks off, waving at her over his shoulder. She gets up to go to dinner. Better be ready to go and see Professor Lupin later.

* * *

**Authors Note:**

**Hi! This update was a bit quicker, I think.**

**I know it's taken 2 chapters (soon to be 3) for one day, I kind of get a bit side-tracked with wanting to put a certain event in before I put in a planned event. Sorry about that, I'll do my best to change it.**

**I was looking at the reviews for this chapter, the whole 2 of them, I did some calculations (I know, boring me decides to use maths in writing) and realised that in a whole 17 chapters, I have an average of 2.41176470588235 reviews per chapter! That made me realise that this might actually be a fanfic worth stopping, as not many people appreciate it. Apparently.**

**Please, if you do read it and have some spare time, then could you review by typing in that little cute box underneath the story! I really do want to get to 50 reviews by the time I've written 20 chapters!**

**Bye.**


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